JRecord's software facilitates the reading and writing of files with records that are length-based through reusable code.
Despite being designed primarily to support the RecordEditor, the JRecord project is capable of reading Cobol files. However, the data is returned as a String, which can be inconvenient.
A better Generic Cobol tool is needed to address this issue. The length-based file format has two advantages over typical Unix/Windows text files: it eliminates the need to examine every byte in the file for a < CR > when reading, and it is ideal for storing binary data since it saves the conversion cost typically found in third-generation languages like C and Cobol.
Several formats are supported by the JRecord project, including Fixed Record Length, Mainframe VB, Mainframe VB Dump, and Fujitsu Cobol VB format. These formats are all very powerful and can be used in a variety of different ways.
One example of using the JRecord project involves using a ByteReader to read a Fujitsu-Cobol variable-length file as a byte array. The file consists of lines containing a 4 byte Record descriptor and some line data.
The Record descriptor at the beginning and end of each record makes it possible to read forward and backwards in the file, allowing for maximum efficiency. The code associated with this task is concise and easy to use, making it perfect for developers of all skill levels.
Version 0.68: N/A