Pro*COBOL is a precompiler that translates the Embedded SQL code into calls to dedicated API functions written in C.

Since isCOBOL is able to call C functions, you could consider to maintain Pro*COBOL and use the isCOBOL Compiler to compile the translated source file (program.cbl) instead of the original source file (program.pco).

However isCOBOL allows to execute the Embedded SQL statements via JDBC, that is more natural considering the Java core of the product.

Here is a list of advantages in discarding the Pro*COBOL precompiler in favor of a direct support of Embedded SQL via JDBC:

The isCOBOL Compiler understands the Embedded SQL code without the need of precompiling. You can compile directly the original source file (program.pco).

Since no code translation occurred, the isCOBOL Graphical Debugger shows the Embedded SQL code exactly as you written it, allowing you to monitor the host variables used in the EXEC SQL blocks.

Pro*COBOL requires the Oracle Client installed on the machine where the program runs. The Oracle Client include native libraries and therefore it must be of the same architecture of the runtime system (e.g. a 64 bit isCOBOL requires a 64 bit Oracle client).

Working with JDBC instead you just need the JDBC driver library, that usually is one single jar file and it’s written in Java without native dependences, hence it is portable on every system and architecture.

Pro*COBOL is not thread safe so it’s not advisable to use it in application server environments like the isCOBOL Thin Client or Tomcat.

JDBC drivers instead are thread safe and therefore suitable to be used in application server environments.

Assuming that the COBOL application doesn’t use too much Oracle specific SQL syntax, but uses standard SQL instead, you could consider to make it also run on other RDBMS (for example MySQL, PostgreSQL or Microsoft SQL Server) by just adding the proper JDBC driver library to the Classpath and adjusting the value of iscobol.jdbc.driver and iscobol.jdbc.url configuration properties.

Programs precompiled with Pro*COBOL instead are suitable only for the Oracle database.