The steps in creating a COBOL application program that accesses
an ALLBASE/SQL relational database environment (DBEnvironment)
are summarized in Figure 1-1.
Figure 1-1 Creating an ALLBASE/SQL COBOL Application Program
![[Creating an ALLBASE/SQL COBOL Application Program]](img/127_001a.gif)
Using your favorite editor, you create COBOL source code.
The source code is a compilable COBOL program or subprogram that
contains SQL commands. The SQL commands contained within the
COBOL program are said to be embedded.
Before compiling the source code, you must preprocess it
with the ALLBASE/SQL COBOL preprocessor. The preprocessor:
Checks the syntax of the SQL commands.
Stores a module in the system catalog of the DBEnvironment
to be accessed at run time. A module consists of ALLBASE/SQL
instructions for executing SQL commands in your program.
Creates an installable module file. This file contains a
copy of the module stored in the DBEnvironment at preprocessing
time. You can use this file to install the module into another
DBEnvironment so that the application program can be run in that
DBEnvironment.
Generates COBOL statements for executing the SQL commands and
comments out the SQL commands. Non-SQL statements are ignored.
This modified version of your source code is placed in a file
created by the preprocessor, referred to as a modified source
code file.
Creates two copy files, which contain declarations of
variables and constants used by the preprocessor-generated COBOL
statements.
You use the COBOL compiler to create either intermediate
code or executable code from the modified source code file and
the two copy files. The Runtime System makes the appropriate
database accesses at run time in the DBEnvironment where the
stored module resides.
