OpenCobol and PSPad how-to

Introduction

Here is a method to be able to use OpenCobol (an open compiler for UNIX systems, including, GNU/Linux, and Ms Windows) with PSPad (a free text editor).
Find OpenCobol here : www.opencobol.org (release used : binaries 1.1 from Kiska here)
Find PSPad here : http://www.pspad.com ( release used : PSPad 4.5.4).

Why ?

PSPad is stable, has a lot of features, is free and supports well console-type collaboration with other tools.
OpenCobol is a quite good COBOL compiler (some documentation, stable), and is free.
It is usefull to create and open .cob files with PSPad, and compile them from it.

Install

This tutorial is working on Ms Windows 7 Professional. It should works on any Ms Windows installation.
Download and install OpenCobol binaries in c:\OpenCobol\ directory (seems to be mandatory, or at least very difficult to override).
Download and install PSPad anywhere.

Download and install Microsoft Visual Studio C++ Express (2010, or maybe newer release). It is free as in beer.
Use "Start Menu" > "Parameters" > "Panel" > "System" > "Advanced" > "Environment variables" to add ";c:\program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE;c:\program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\Bin" at the end of "Path" variable (in "User" or "System" section ; you may check that these directories exists on your disk).

In PSPad, modify settings :

"Settings" > "Highlighters Settings..." > "COBOL" > "Compiler"
"Application" : C:\opencobol\cobc.exe
"Parameters" : -x -Wall -I "c:\program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\Include" -L "c:\program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\Lib" "%File%" (MS Visual Studio Newer than 2010 : it may be 11.0 instead of 10.0 ; depending on OS it may be also program files (x68) instead of program files ; you may add after -Wall some more parameters, like -std=cobol85).
"Launch after compilation" : %Name%.exe
Check "Capture output window"

Test

This shoud work, create a new .cob file anywhere with PSPad, and hit Ctrl+F9 :


    

       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.

       PROGRAM-ID. test



       PROCEDURE DIVISION.

         DisplayPrompt.

           DISPLAY "OK, thanks askywhale".

       END PROGRAM test.

More infos and comments

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askywhale, 2011