Compatibility with RM/COBOL

Visual COBOL provides compatibility with the RM/COBOL programming language, enabling you to migrate RM/COBOL programs to this COBOL environment.

You can:
  • Convert applications written in RM/COBOL to the Micro Focus COBOL language, and enhance them using the advanced language and development features offered by Visual COBOL.
  • Retain the use of the selected COBOL on some machine environments while moving to Visual COBOL on others. You might want to maintain a common set of source programs which are suitable for all environments.

A COBOL dialect setting (DIALECT"RM") provides most of the compatibility required to migrate; however, it should only be used in a native COBOL environment.

Note: Any error messages and numbers that are returned when you compile your program in Visual COBOL or when you execute the resulting code are different in the two environments. This should present no problems, but is something of which you should be aware.