Data Education Center

What is COBOL Sort? Why It’s Still Used

Sort is a key feature within the COBOL programming language, specifically designed for organizing high volumes of data efficiently and integrating seamlessly into legacy systems that many enterprises still rely on today.

Basic Functionality

• The COBOL Sort arranges records or table elements in a specified order, either ascending or descending, based on defined keys.

• The sorting process involves transferring records from input files to a work file, sorting them according to specified criteria, and then writing the sorted records to an output file.

• This functionality is essential for ensuring that data is organized for subsequent processing or analysis, which is a common requirement in various business applications.

Internal vs. External Sort

• Internal sort refers to the sorting process conducted within a COBOL program using the SORT verb. It allows for sorting operations to be embedded directly into the program's logic, making it efficient for on-the-fly sorting needs.

• External sort, on the other hand, utilizes external utilities like JCL (Job Control Language) to perform sorting operations. This method is typically used for very large datasets that may require more complex sorting and merging tasks.

Key Components

• Input File: The file that contains the data to be sorted. This file must be defined in the program and is read by the SORT statement during execution.

• Work File: A temporary file used to hold the data during the sorting process. This file is defined in the FILE SECTION of the COBOL program and is managed automatically by the SORT operation.

• Output File: The file that receives the sorted data. Like the input file, it must be defined in the program and is used to store the final sorted records.

Performance Considerations

• COBOL Sort is optimized for performance, leveraging efficient algorithms to handle large volumes of data quickly.

• The sort operation minimizes I/O operations by using a work file, which helps in reducing the overall processing time.

• Ensuring that the input, work, and output files are properly defined and managed within the COBOL program is crucial for achieving optimal performance.

Why is COBOL Sort Still Relevant?

Despite the advent of modern programming languages and data processing tools, COBOL Sort remains a relevant and vital component in many enterprise environments. Its continued use is attributed to several key factors that underscore its importance in the modern IT landscape.

1. Legacy System Integration

   1. Many large organizations, particularly in finance, healthcare, and government sectors, still rely heavily on legacy systems written in COBOL.

   2. COBOL Sort provides a robust solution for these systems, ensuring data processing tasks are handled efficiently without the need for extensive rewrites or system overhauls.

   3. The ability to integrate seamlessly with existing COBOL applications makes COBOL Sort an invaluable tool for maintaining and optimizing legacy systems.

2. Cost-Effectiveness

   1. Implementing COBOL Sort within existing systems avoids the significant costs associated with migrating to new platforms or rewriting applications in modern languages.

   2. By leveraging existing infrastructure and expertise, the need for new hardware, software, and training is reduced.

   3. This cost-effectiveness is one reason for many organizations to continue using COBOL Sort for their data processing needs.

3. Reliability and Stability

   1. COBOL Sort has a proven track record of reliability and stability in critical business applications.

   2. Its deterministic behavior ensures consistent and accurate sorting results, which is essential for data integrity and compliance with regulatory requirements.

   3. The stability of COBOL Sort reduces the risk of system failures or data corruption, providing peace of mind for organizations that depend on it for their operations.

Key Features & Benefits of COBOL Sort

COBOL Sort is a powerful tool that offers various features designed to streamline data processing tasks in COBOL programs. These features enhance efficiency and flexibility, making COBOL Sort an essential component in many business applications.

High Efficiency and Speed

COBOL Sort is known for its high efficiency and speed, which are critical in processing large volumes of data. The SORT statement in COBOL is designed to handle significant data loads quickly, ensuring that business operations run smoothly without delays.

• Optimized Sorting Algorithms: COBOL uses optimized sorting algorithms that are specifically designed for the types of data structures commonly found in business applications. This optimization leads to faster sorting times and more efficient data processing.

• Minimized I/O Operations: The sorting process in COBOL minimizes the number of input/output operations required, which significantly reduces the overall processing time. This is achieved by efficiently managing the transfer of data between the input, work, and output files.

• Parallel Processing Capabilities: In modern implementations, COBOL Sort can leverage parallel processing capabilities, further enhancing its speed and efficiency. This means that sorting tasks can be distributed across multiple processors, reducing the time required for large-scale sorting operations.

Versatile Sorting Options

COBOL Sort offers a wide range of sorting options that can be customized to meet specific business needs. This versatility makes it suitable for a variety of applications and data types.

• Multiple Key Sorting: COBOL Sort allows for sorting by multiple keys, providing flexibility in how data is organized. This is particularly useful in complex data environments where multiple criteria need to be considered.

• Ascending and Descending Order: The SORT statement supports both ascending and descending order sorting. This means that data can be arranged from lowest to highest or highest to lowest values, depending on the requirements.

• Custom Collating Sequences: COBOL Sort can use custom collating sequences, which define the order of characters for sorting purposes. This feature is useful in environments where non-standard character sets are used, such as in international applications.

Scalability

The COBOL Sort can scale for use on small and large data sets. Key scalability features:

• Handling Large Data Volumes: COBOL Sort can efficiently manage and sort large files, usually without major impact on the performance of concurrent jobs.

• Dynamic Memory Allocation: The sorting process in COBOL can dynamically allocate memory to optimize the use of this resource and maintain performance.  

Ease of Integration

COBOL Sort integrates seamlessly with existing COBOL programs, providing a smooth and straightforward implementation process. This integration capability is crucial for maintaining existing systems while enhancing their functionality.

• Seamless Program Integration: The SORT statement can be easily integrated into existing COBOL programs without requiring extensive modifications. This ease of integration ensures that businesses can enhance their data processing capabilities without disrupting current operations.

• Compatibility with Legacy Systems: COBOL Sort is compatible with a wide range of legacy systems, making it an ideal solution for businesses that rely on older technology. This compatibility helps in preserving investments in existing infrastructure while upgrading functionality.

Future of COBOL Sort

The future of COBOL Sort remains promising, given its continued relevance in legacy systems and adaptability to modern technological advancements. Several factors contribute to its sustained importance and evolution.

Continued Relevance in Legacy Systems

COBOL Sort will remain vital for businesses that rely on legacy systems, particularly in industries like finance, healthcare, and government.

• Maintaining Critical Operations: Many critical operations in these industries depend on COBOL systems. COBOL Sort ensures that these systems continue to function efficiently, supporting essential business processes.

• Cost-Effective Solution: For organizations with significant investments in COBOL infrastructure, COBOL Sort offers a cost-effective way to enhance data processing capabilities without the need for expensive system overhauls.

Integration with Modern Technologies

COBOL Sort can be integrated with modern technologies, ensuring its continued relevance in contemporary IT environments.

• Hybrid IT Environments: COBOL Sort can operate within hybrid IT environments, bridging the gap between legacy systems and new technologies. This integration supports digital transformation initiatives while preserving existing infrastructure.

• Enhanced Capabilities: By combining COBOL Sort with modern data processing tools, businesses can enhance their data management capabilities. This approach allows organizations to leverage the strengths of both legacy and modern systems.

Adaptation to Emerging Needs

COBOL Sort can adapt to emerging business needs, ensuring its continued utility in evolving technological landscapes.

• Scalability for Growing Data: As data volumes continue to grow, COBOL Sort can scale to meet increased processing demands. This scalability ensures that businesses can manage large datasets efficiently.

• Support for New Data Formats: COBOL Sort can be extended to support new data formats and structures, accommodating changing business requirements. This flexibility makes it a versatile tool for various data processing tasks.

Continuous Improvements

Ongoing improvements to COBOL Sort will ensure its continued effectiveness and relevance.

• Performance Enhancements: Future updates to COBOL Sort will likely focus on enhancing performance and efficiency. These improvements will ensure that COBOL Sort remains competitive with modern sorting solutions.

• Increased Flexibility: Enhancements to the flexibility and customization options in COBOL Sort will make it even more adaptable to diverse business needs. This increased flexibility will further solidify its position as a valuable data processing tool.

Comparison with Modern Sort Software

IRI CoSort, or its metadata-compatible solutions supported in the IRI Voracity platform, offers robust capabilities for achieving a wide range of COBOL data conversion and processing goals on open systems, including replacements for internal and external COBOL sort operations.  

Convert & Transform

IRI CoSort excels in converting and transforming various file types, including indexed, variable length, and blocked-formatted files. This capability is crucial for data warehousing (DW) ETL operations, allowing businesses to convert and manipulate COBOL data seamlessly.

• Index, Variable Length, and Blocked-Formatted Files: CoSort can handle different file types, ensuring that data is accurately converted and transformed for various applications. This flexibility is vital for businesses dealing with diverse data formats.

• Data Warehousing ETL Operations: CoSort supports comprehensive data transformation processes, making it an ideal tool for data warehousing environments. It ensures that COBOL data is properly formatted and ready for analysis.

• File Conversion and Manipulation: The tool can efficiently convert and manipulate COBOL data, enhancing its usability across different systems and applications.

Sort & Report

IRI CoSort can replace and speed up COBOL sort verbs, significantly enhancing sorting performance. Additionally, it generates detailed reports from COBOL files, providing valuable insights into the data.

• Enhanced Sorting Performance: CoSort's advanced sorting algorithms outperform traditional COBOL sort functions, ensuring faster and more efficient data processing.

• Report Generation: The tool can generate custom reports from COBOL files, offering detailed, delta (change), and summary reports. These reports help businesses make informed decisions based on accurate data.

• Integration with BI Tools: CoSort prepares big data for sophisticated business intelligence platforms, such as Cognos and Business Objects. This integration ensures that BI tools handle data efficiently without the overhead of transformation tasks.

Convert COBOL Data Types

IRI software can translate fields compatible with Micro Focus (MF) and Ryan-McFarland (RM) data. Both CoSort and NextForm convert these fields to other types, and vice versa, facilitating comprehensive data type conversion.

• Data Type Conversion: CoSort supports data type conversions, such as MF_CMP3 (packed decimal) to NUMERIC and EBCDIC to ASCII, within sorting and other jobs. This capability ensures data compatibility across different systems.

• Free COBOL Copybook Translation Utility: The cob2ddf utility converts file dictionary (FD) layouts into data definition file (.DDF) metadata repositories. This feature leverages existing metadata, simplifying data conversion processes.

• Endian Type Conversion: CoSort handles big and little endian data conversions at the file or field level. This ensures data compatibility across platforms with different endian formats.

Accelerate Native Sort Calls

IRI CoSort improves COBOL sort performance through various methods, including static and dynamic API calls, serial and concurrent system calls, and more.

• Improved Sort Performance: CoSort's advanced sorting methods outperform native COBOL sort functions, ensuring faster data processing.

• API and System Calls: The tool supports static and dynamic API calls, as well as serial and concurrent system calls to the CoSort SortCL program, enhancing flexibility and performance.

• Sort Replacement: CoSort provides sort replacement options for various COBOL environments, ensuring compatibility and improved performance.

Generate Reports from COBOL Files

CoSort's SortCL program not only converts and transforms COBOL files but also generates custom reports. These reports provide valuable insights and support business intelligence efforts.

• Custom Report Generation: SortCL can produce detailed, delta, and summary reports from COBOL files, offering valuable data insights.

• Business Intelligence Integration: The tool prepares data for BI platforms by filtering, converting, sorting, joining, aggregating, and reformatting COBOL files into manageable subsets. This integration ensures efficient data handling by BI tools.

• Simplified 4GL Language: SortCL uses a simpler 4GL to define data sources, manipulations, and target layouts, streamlining the report generation process.

Protect Sensitive Data

IRI data masking solution software, including FieldShield and DarkShield, provide robust protection for COBOL files containing sensitive information. These tools ensure data security and compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Comprehensive Data Masking: With or without sorting COBOL files, you can discover and de-identify, encrypt, hash, mask, pseudonymize, randomize, or otherwise anonymize PII in your data. This ensures that sensitive information is safeguarded in COBOL and other file and database sources.

• Integrated Data Processing: The CoSort SortCL program behind FieldShield allows for simultaneous data protection, transformation, cleansing, migration and reporting, enhancing both data security and efficiency.

Create Safe COBOL Test Data

IRI RowGen test data generation product, along with CoSort and Voracity, produces and customizes synthetic test data. This ensures that test data accurately reflects production data while maintaining security.

• Synthetic Test Data Generation: RowGen and CoSort produce customized synthetic test data with the layout and data types of production files. This ensures realistic and secure testing environments.

• Metadata Utilization: The tools use existing metadata, including COBOL copybooks, to generate accurate and secure test data. This capability simplifies the test data generation process.

By leveraging IRI CoSort and its metadata- and COBOL-compatible solutions, businesses can enhance their COBOL-related data processing capabilities, ensuring efficient, secure, and compliant data management.

For more information, explore IRI CoSort COBOL Tools, Data File Migration, Sort & Report, and Data Masking & Test Data.