Written by Aditi Rai, a student at Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)
Navigating the Maze of Mainframe Languages: A Look at Their Viability 
Hi everyone, Aditi Rai here! As a final year BTech CSE student at VIT Chennai, I’m thrilled to share my experience as a Summer 2024 LFX Mentee under the Open Mainframe Project’s Mainframe Modernization Group under The Linux Foundation. I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Bruno Azenha, an expert in technology strategy and modernization, during my 2024 Summer Mentorship. Together, we delved into the complex task of evaluating the continued relevance and supportability of programming languages within modern enterprise environments. This experience has been incredibly insightful, and learning.
Our mission?
To delve into the complex world of mainframe programming languages and assess their continued relevance in today’s IT landscape.
Many have predicted the demise of COBOL, PLI, and other classic languages that have powered critical business applications for decades. Yet, these languages persist. The challenge for organizations lies in determining whether to modernize these legacy systems or embrace newer technologies.
Watch my final video presentation:
A Framework for Informed Decisions
Existing assessment frameworks often fall short of providing a practical approach. They might focus heavily on user acceptance or lack in-depth technical analysis. To address this gap, we developed a framework encompassing key factors:
- Language Characteristics: Ease of learning, maintenance, and performance. ● Community & Ecosystem: Open-source contributions, active forums, and support from major players.
- Developer Experience & Compatibility: Availability of code assistants, IDE support, and alignment with modern development patterns.
Applying the Framework: A Tale of Three Languages
We then put this framework to the test, analyzing COBOL, PLI, REXX, Java, Python, and Go. Here’s a glimpse of our findings:
- COBOL: While its compiled nature and potential lack of source code pose challenges, COBOL benefits from a dedicated community, ongoing innovation, and continued use in critical industries. Targeted modernization efforts can leverage new DevOps tools and AI-powered code assistants to ease the transition.
- PLI and REXX: These languages face steeper challenges. Their communities and ecosystems are less vibrant compared to COBOL, making it harder to find support and resources. Extensive code rewrites might be necessary for modernization, making them prime candidates for replacement.
Key Takeaways
The proposed framework equips technology leaders with a structured approach to evaluate the viability of programming languages and their ecosystems. Our analysis suggests:
- COBOL remains a viable option for specific use cases, particularly when paired with modernization efforts.
- PLI and REXX might be better suited for replacement in scenarios demanding significant application changes.
Continuous Evolution: The Future of Mainframe Languages
The landscape of mainframe programming languages continues to evolve. AI-powered tools offer potential for automating conversion processes, but limitations remain. Modernization efforts also need to consider non-functional aspects like application architecture and error handling.
Looking Forward
I’m incredibly grateful to my mentors, Bruno Azenha, Dr. Vinu Russell Viswasadhas, and Misty Decker, for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this project. Their expertise and insights were instrumental in the successful completion of this research.
I would also like to thank Yarille Ortiz and Tom Slanda from the Linux Foundation for providing me with this incredible opportunity and for their unwavering support.
Finally, I am grateful to my fellow mentee, Swathi, for her valuable contributions and collaboration. Working together, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing mainframe modernization.
This whitepaper is just the beginning. As technology continues to transform, so too will the way we approach legacy systems. By staying informed and adopting a strategic approach, organizations can navigate the complexities of mainframe languages and ensure their applications remain relevant in the years to come.
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