GnuCOBOL Compiler

GnuCOBOL (formerly OpenCOBOL) is a free and open-source COBOL compiler that translates COBOL source code into C code, which is then compiled into native machine code by a C compiler (typically GCC). Originally created by Keisuke Nishida in 2002 as OpenCOBOL, the project was renamed to GnuCOBOL in 2013 and is now maintained by a community led by Simon Sobisch and Sergey Kashyrin. Key features: COBOL standards: implements the COBOL 2002 standard and significant portions of COBOL 2014, with ongoing work toward full compliance. Supports many vendor extensions from Micro Focus COBOL, IBM Enterprise COBOL, Fujitsu COBOL, and RM/COBOL, enabling migration of legacy code with minimal changes. C translation: translates COBOL source code to intermediate C code, then invokes the system C compiler (GCC, Clang) to produce optimized machine code. This leverages the maturity and optimization capabilities of existing C compilers while maintaining COBOL semantics. Executable output: produces standalone native executables with no runtime dependency on GnuCOBOL itself. Shared libraries: COBOL programs can be compiled into shared libraries callable from C, Python, and other languages. File I/O: full support for COBOL file organizations (sequential, relative, indexed) with data management systems including Berkeley DB, C-ISAM, DDISAM, and VBISAM. Database support: preprocessor for embedded SQL (EXEC SQL) for PostgreSQL, Oracle, MySQL, and SQLite. Screen I/O: COBOL SCREEN SECTION for character-based terminal I/O via ncurses. Configuration: runtime configuration file for locale, currency, and behavior. Cross-platform: Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, AIX, Solaris. GPLv3 (compiler) / LGPLv3 (runtime).