Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux?

Subject	Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux?
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
References	(8 earlier) <vsgvh2$36mma$8@dont-email.me> <Uf-cnVfuGfF4MnH6nZ2dnZfqnPGdnZ2d@giganews.com> <89k0clx62u.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <m55seiF36j5U1@mid.individual.net> <op.24eyy4ija3w0dxdave@hodgins.homeip.net>
From	c186282 <c186282@nnada.net>
Date	2025-04-03 06:11 -0400
Message-ID	<lDWdnfaNTfBFw3P6nZ2dnZfqn_GdnZ2d@giganews.com> (permalink)

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On 4/3/25 2:00 AM, David W. Hodgins wrote:
> On Wed, 02 Apr 2025 18:36:02 -0400, rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Wed, 2 Apr 2025 22:46:00 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>
>>> So, to the complexity of handling old code, you add the complexities of
>>> translating to another language.
>>>
>>> Keep it simple: use today's COBOL. Less translation effort. Fewer
>>> errors.
>>
>> The problem may be finding competent COBOL programmers. That leads me to
>> another question. Presumably the SSA and other government agencies
>> currently employ COBOL programmers. What have they been doing the last
>> fifty years?
>>
>> A more important question might be what have their managers been doing?
>> There is no question a re-write would be very painful and expensive. 
>> For a
>> government agency there isn't a market force to improve so what would
>> trigger them doing anything to rock the boat?
> 
> There is a lot more to those systems than just the COBOL programs.
> 
> The data is in EBCDIC, not ASCII. Sequential files can be fixed or 
> variable length.
> For fixed, the length of each record is specified in the file 
> declaration, while for
> variable, the length is in the first bytes of each record. There is no 
> character or
> combination of characters used to represent the end of a record.
> 
> There can be ISAM and VSAM (indexed direct access) files, IMS 
> (heirarchical) databases
> and data comunnication with MFS for the 3270 style screen handling, as 
> well as DB2
> databases all used by those COBOL programs.
> 
> The COBOL programs may have ASM subroutines for the parts that had to be 
> highly
> optimized.
> 
> The systems are constantly under maintenance due to changes imposed by 
> governements
> regulations or due to interfaces with other systems such as pc or cloud 
> usage.
> 
> Regards, Dave Hodgins


   You're seeing the True Picture - It's *not* "easy" to
   re-write at all.

   And if you get it wrong there's all hell to pay.

   Which is why bcrats are hyper-conservative in these
   regards. They have good jobs/pensions to protect.

   IMHO, any re-write will HAVE to involve a 'parallel system'
   for awhile ... give it the same data, the same tasks, and
   eval if it's always doing the same thing as the old stuff.
   THEN, in a few years, quietly switch.

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Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> - 2025-03-29 09:38 +0000
  Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-03-30 03:42 -0400
    Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-03-30 17:58 +0000
      Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? pothead <pothead@snakebite.com> - 2025-03-31 03:08 +0000
        Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-03-31 03:38 -0400
          Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? chrisv <chrisv@nospam.invalid> - 2025-03-31 07:11 -0500
            Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <fsquared@fsquared.linux> - 2025-03-31 13:59 +0000
              Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-03-31 17:38 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> - 2025-03-31 18:55 +0000
            Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-01 10:16 -0400
              Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2025-04-01 14:40 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-01 11:08 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-01 18:08 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> - 2025-04-01 21:22 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-01 22:20 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-01 23:32 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-02 11:40 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-02 16:04 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-04-02 22:46 +0200
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-02 22:36 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? "David W. Hodgins" <dwhodgins@nomail.afraid.org> - 2025-04-03 02:00 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-03 07:28 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? "David W. Hodgins" <dwhodgins@nomail.afraid.org> - 2025-04-03 10:53 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-03 06:11 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? "David W. Hodgins" <dwhodgins@nomail.afraid.org> - 2025-04-03 11:12 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-03 12:20 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? "David W. Hodgins" <dwhodgins@nomail.afraid.org> - 2025-04-03 13:05 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-03 10:53 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-04-03 13:44 +0200
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-03 18:26 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-03 17:12 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-04 00:03 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-03 22:50 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-04 06:00 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-04-06 08:52 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 10:14 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-04-06 11:13 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-06 16:58 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-01 17:35 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2025-04-01 19:30 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-01 22:14 -0400
            Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-01 15:09 -0400
              Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2025-04-01 12:16 -0700
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-01 22:07 -0400
        Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-03-31 04:46 -0400
        Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-31 11:53 +0100
          Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-31 17:36 +0100
            Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? pothead <pothead@snakebite.com> - 2025-04-03 02:38 +0000
              Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-03 10:59 +0100
              Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-03 06:52 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-03 12:10 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-03 18:12 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-03 16:38 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-04 00:16 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-03 23:03 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-04 05:54 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-04 09:38 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-04 08:30 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-04 18:53 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-05 04:31 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-05 11:41 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-05 19:20 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-05 20:23 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? pothead <pothead@snakebite.com> - 2025-04-05 22:58 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-04-05 22:10 +0200
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-05 20:27 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-05 20:14 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-05 19:11 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2025-04-05 16:24 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> - 2025-04-04 19:15 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-05 04:50 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> - 2025-04-05 10:21 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-04-06 08:59 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> - 2025-04-06 11:27 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-04-06 12:17 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 18:38 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-04-06 20:23 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 23:14 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-06 21:42 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2025-04-07 03:33 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-07 01:04 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-06 22:49 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-07 11:56 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-07 07:08 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-07 12:20 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-04-06 16:51 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-05 12:13 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-05 15:22 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-05 20:40 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-05 22:57 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 01:57 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 10:05 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 13:02 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-05 18:27 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 02:07 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-06 00:26 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 12:55 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-07 16:39 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-07 17:59 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <fsquared@fsquared.linux> - 2025-04-08 11:59 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-08 13:17 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-08 10:28 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-08 16:26 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-04-08 23:18 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-08 22:29 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-04-09 16:49 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-09 14:18 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-09 16:51 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-09 22:33 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-09 23:11 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-08 20:04 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-04-09 16:49 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-09 13:09 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-08 10:24 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> - 2025-04-08 16:17 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-08 19:03 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2025-04-08 11:51 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <fflud@gnu.rocks> - 2025-04-05 20:00 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Joel <joelcrump@gmail.com> - 2025-04-05 16:16 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-05 18:35 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Joel <joelcrump@gmail.com> - 2025-04-05 19:13 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-04-06 09:01 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks> - 2025-04-06 15:48 +0000
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-05 18:34 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 02:13 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-04-06 00:48 -0400
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-04-06 12:58 +0100
                Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-04-06 08:58 +0000

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