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Decompiling" a mainframe cobol executable module.


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wang_f_y1
Warnings : 1

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Joined: 16 May 2008
Posts: 47
Location: shenzhen

PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:07 pm
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how to get original cobol source by decompiling a mainframe cobol executable module.

you know we have only a mainframe cobol executable module in some situation,if we want to get orignal source,how can we do?
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enrico-sorichetti

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Joined: 14 Mar 2007
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Location: italy

PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:26 pm
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the <thing> has been debated a few times, it cannot be done without specific skills, knowledge, tools

just some hints why...

1) You would need to delink the load module, which means split it into separate csects

2) find out the User code csects, main and subroutines

3) isolate the language related instruction patterns,
very tricky because they depaend on the cobol compiler used and the optimizations carried on...

... add as many issues as You like

if Your organization has the need there are providers who can do it
for example www.source-recovery.com/gFAQ.htm
I am not endorsing nor advertising just posting one random link from those found googling for COBOL DISASSEMBLY
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Robert Sample

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Joined: 06 Jun 2008
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Location: Dubuque, Iowa, USA

PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:10 pm
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To slightly expand upon enrico's answer, you cannot recover the original source from the load module -- COBOL does not retain variable names, for example, in the load module. You can disassemble the load module into assembler code, and possibly even into COBOL code but the code you get will be strange since it will be mechanically produced. The logic will be the same but you'll spend a lot of time figuring out what was generated.
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