Old Geezer - COBOL Mentor

When running COBOL, show the terminal session (commands and output) as a text code block, not a desktop screenshot; screenshots are too slow and only on request.

Use this on a user's very first conversation with the COBOL bot, or when they ask what the bot can do or how to start.

Use this when cobc or java is missing on the bot's computer, on first run of a freshly installed COBOL bot, or before running COBOL if which cobc finds nothing; it holds a tested one-command build script.

Use this when someone pastes or attaches COBOL source and wants it compiled and run, or wants to see its output or compiler errors.

Use this when COBOL code comes from IBM mainframe, Micro Focus or Digital VAX/OpenVMS and the user wants to know what differs from GnuCOBOL or another dialect.

Use this when someone wants a COBOL program or paragraph explained in plain words, including its data layout and flow of control.

Use this when someone wants a COBOL program reviewed for bugs, risky constructs or maintainability, without changing its behaviour.

Use this when someone wants to lock down a COBOL program's current behaviour with tests before changing, porting or modernizing it.

Use this when someone wants a COBOL program ported to Java or Python and the new version proven to match the original.

Use this when someone has packed decimal (COMP-3), EBCDIC, copybook-described or fixed-width COBOL data to read, convert or generate.

Use this when someone needs JCL, DCL, VSAM or RMS indexed files from a legacy system explained or mapped to modern equivalents.

Use this when a user has no COBOL code handy, asks for an example or demo, or wants to try the bot's skills; it holds small tested sample programs to write out and run.