According to the company, the extend enables businesses to modernize their Cobol applications in an evolutionary manner.
Using the AcuCobol-GT compiler and runtime system, extend allows developers to update the look and feel of their graphical user interfaces by using the native controls of the Windows XP, or Vista operating systems, without changing their code. The enhancement is implemented through a configuration file variable, eliminating potentially-costly coding changes and the need to retrain existing users. In addition, extend is now certified with Windows 2008, bringing it up to speed with the latest Windows technologies.
Micro Focus claims that the release of extend version 8.1 follows the launch of Net Express with .NET as another Micro Focus product to push the boundaries of what developers can achieve with Cobol, establishing the most-used operating language on a level playing field with those more contemporary languages.
Stuart McGill, chief technology officer of Micro Focus, said: The launch of Extend 8.1 underlines Micro Focus’s continued investment in an integrated solutions portfolio, following the Acucorp acquisition last year. We have enjoyed fantastic feedback from our customers, so we are very excited to launch this new version of the extend software suite, to deliver on our commitments for important and relevant feature additions. This, the latest Micro Focus product development, further reinforces Cobol as the modern language at the heart of organizations’ core IT systems.
