Data compression in COBOL

Ray Smith · New User Joined: 27 Jun 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Mem Tn

We have the need to write a COBOL routine that will convert EBCDIC data to ASCII and compress the ASCII according to Huffman (LHR) compression rules.
I can convert EBCDIC to ASCII, but I am having problems finding compression utilities that I can call from a cobol program.

The conversion and compression needs to accomodate batch andn on-line.

Thanks for any help or direction.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:47 pm

Contact Data 21 about their ZIP/390 product. EBCDIC to ASCII conversion can be done in COBOL, then use ZIP/390, which can be called from batch and online COBOL programs.

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:05 pm

if You search the net You will find many working compression decompression routines written in C

You should not have any problem in calling a C subroutine from a COBOL program
as usual all depends on the cobol and LE levels You are working with

every is explained in the interlanguage communication chapters of the manuals

note. You might need to work out with Your organization legal departement
about understanding all the intricacies of open source licensing
and product usage

Ray Smith · New User Joined: 27 Jun 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Mem Tn

Thanks for taking the time to provide the info. I appreciate it and will search for C routines and look into Data 21 zip/390