I got a question asking for recommendations on how to write a COBOL application (on z/OS) to act as an HTTP client. That is, the COBOL program makes an outbound HTTP request, provides some input data, and receives some data back. The data format is arbitrary -- could be XML, could be just simple strings.
Further assumptions: there's only Enterprise COBOL (compiler) and base z/OS (including any standard and no charge features). Also, there are significant bonus points awarded for high service quality attributes (RAS, security, performance, etc.) "It broke!" is not adequate diagnostic information if something fails, like the network or authentication to the remote HTTP server. :-) The same method could be used with Enterprise PL/I programs without any material differences. Anyway, with those conditions, here's the list of options I came up with: 1. Java application written using standard java.net HTTP client logic and JZOS record conversion classes. Invoked as a JZOS job step. 2. Same as #1, but invoked via COBOL INVOKE. 3. CBT tape 556 (REXX HTTP client sample). 4. Via cURL for z/OS, part of the z/OS Ported Tools. Options #2 and #4 are currently my favorite (again, given these restrictions). Along the lines of #1 and #2 there are probably Perl and Python avenues as well. Anybody got any better (or at least different) ideas? Yes, I know this is rather easy in CICS Transaction Server (EXEC CICS WEB ...), for example. - - - - - Timothy Sipples IBM Consulting Enterprise Software Architect Based in Tokyo, Serving IBM Japan / Asia-Pacific E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
