COBOL in GCC: A language from the past finds Its place in the future of programming

The COBOL programming language, which recently celebrated its 65th anniversary, is alive and well and now seeking a new home in the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC). This step aims to modernize its ecosystem and facilitate its integration into current development environments. Despite its decades-long history, COBOL remains essential in critical financial, governmental, and enterprise systems worldwide.

In December 2024, a team of developers led by James Lowden introduced a set of eight key patches to include COBOL’s frontend in GCC. This effort aims to provide official support in future versions of this popular open-source compiler, allowing COBOL to benefit from the advanced tools of GCC.

Why COBOL in GCC?

This project aims to solve one of COBOL’s biggest challenges: its integration with modern tools. GCC, known for supporting multiple languages such as C, C++, Fortran, and Ada, is one of the most robust and widely used compilation infrastructures. Incorporating COBOL into this ecosystem offers several advantages:

1. Unified Development Environment: Developers can compile COBOL code alongside other languages within the same environment, simplifying implementation in modern systems.
2. Cross-Platform Compatibility: As part of GCC, COBOL can efficiently run on a wide range of platforms and architectures, from enterprise servers to local devices.
3. Advanced Optimization and Tools: COBOL will leverage GCC’s optimizers and advanced tools like GDB for enhanced debugging, improving performance and maintainability in existing systems.

Technical Details of the COBOL Frontend in GCC

The COBOL frontend for GCC includes the following key features:

• Advanced Compilation: Transforms COBOL source code into an intermediate representation called GIMPLE, which is then processed by GCC’s optimizers and assembly generators.
• Comprehensive GCC Support: The compiler, named gcobol, will generate binary executables, shared libraries (.so), and object files (.o) directly from COBOL code.
• Modular and Efficient Codebase: Over 83,000 lines of code written in C and C++ are organized into clear modules to ensure scalability and maintainability.

Recent Developments

The developers have released preliminary versions of the COBOL compiler, available as .deb packages for Debian- and Ubuntu-based distributions. These versions already enable users to compile and run COBOL programs using commands similar to other languages supported by GCC:

bashCopiar códigogcobol -o program program.cbl
./program

The project also includes scripts to simplify compilation from the source code. However, advanced configurations are required, such as installing Bison 3.8 or later on systems like Debian 11.

Additionally, the team is working on integrating with GDB, the GNU Debugger, to support direct debugging of COBOL programs.

Challenges and Next Steps

While the integration of COBOL into GCC is promising, several significant challenges remain:

1. Adoption and Feedback: Developers are seeking community feedback to ensure the compiler’s stability and usability.
2. Full Integration into GCC: Although the COBOL frontend is at an advanced stage, its inclusion in GCC’s main branch will require thorough reviews and additional testing.
3. Legacy System Compatibility: As COBOL evolves to fit into GCC, it is essential to maintain compatibility with existing systems that rely on older COBOL versions.

What Does This Mean for Businesses and Developers?

The inclusion of COBOL in GCC represents a milestone in modernizing the language. For businesses still relying on COBOL in critical systems, this integration offers:

• Extended Longevity: Modernizes COBOL development, ensuring its relevance in a world dominated by contemporary programming languages.
• Cost Reduction: As part of an open-source ecosystem, businesses can reduce costs associated with proprietary compiler licenses.
• Ease of Use: Compatibility with modern tools like GCC and GDB enhances the developer experience and simplifies maintenance.

Conclusion

COBOL in GCC not only reinforces the longevity of this historic language but also positions it as a relevant tool for modern needs. By leveraging the robustness and flexibility of GCC, COBOL can find new momentum to remain a cornerstone in the world of enterprise software development.

While there is still work to be done, this effort demonstrates that even a language with six decades of history can reinvent itself and remain a vital component of today’s technological landscape.