ASP.NET/COBOL.NET Database Access

One of the features of the .NET framework is its ability to handle multiple languages. Third party compiler vendors can create and implement a compiler targeted for the .NET runtime. In fact, over the course of the next year, you can expect to see some 28 languages ported to the .NET runtime. This will allow companies with a huge codebase in a "non-Microsoft language" to continue building onto their investment.



This article provides COBOL.NET code that accesses SQL Server and binds the results of a query to a DataGrid. I know enough COBOL to write this application but I don't know enough COBOL to write an explanation of this example.



UPDATE: COBOL guru, Pete Dashwood, had been gracious enough to explain the COBOL in my example! Pete is a well known expert in the COBOL community and frequently contributes to magazines, web sites, and COBOL newsgroups.



Below, you will find the example in it's entirety. Immediately following the example, you will find Pete's wonderfully helpful analysis of what this .