ACUCOBOL-GT includes many facilities for interoperating with Microsoft® .NET technologies.
It includes compiler options that generate Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) objects capable of calling and running your COBOL program. These objects can be managed and run by the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) and instantiated by a .NET assembly.
It includes a .NET interface that lets .NET programmers interact with the COBOL program at the API level. A .NET version of the ACUCOBOL-GT® programs can be included in any Visual Studio .NET project.
ACUCOBOL-GT also includes a utility, NETDEFGEN, that translates .NET assemblies into COBOL COPY files, making it easy to invoke .NET assemblies from your COBOL program.
Web services are supported via .NET client control proxies. These proxies are simple .NET controls that interact with Web services and communicate with an ACUCOBOL-GT program using native .NET event declarations, methods, and properties.
UNIX users can interact with .NET assemblies using our Thin Client technology. If you want, you can mix Win32, ActiveX, and .NET graphical controls on the same ACUCOBOL-GT screen.
All of these options are discussed in this chapter.