FS> They had a hard enough time converting from the old version of
FS> COBOL (OS/VS COBOL) to the newer version (VS COBOL II).
COBOL II is several years old now, too.  Micro Focus has come out with
a "COBOL with Objects" for development geared towards client platforms.
 It should be interesting when and if your shop goes to that.
FS> I don't even know of DB2 is available for VSE.
I couldn't tell you.  I would think you would have a hard enough time
finding ANYTHING for VSE nowadays.
FS> You write the programs in whatever language, with embedded
FS> SQL calls, right?  Then you run them through the SQL preprocessor
FS> which translates them into language calls.
That's the theory.  First you create the source code program with the
embedded SQL and call that module something with a different extention
(*.SQL?).  Then run it through a special preprocessor which converts
the SQL calls into something your compiler can handle and names the
resulting file *.C (or maybe *.CPP if you're lucky).  Then you compile
with your regular compiler.  If something is amiss however, you have to
go back to step one and work only with the *.SQL file.  As a result,
error messages from the compiler are next to useless (especially if
you're using many include files).
A far more civilized approach is to use ODBC (which was developed for
just this sort of occurrence).  It is yet another language, but a LOT
simpler.  The ODBC calls are placed into your C/C++ source code but you
only have to compile once.  There are many books out about ODBC; the
one I used is called "USING ODBC2" by Que.
FS> Do you build the database itself using the Access
FS> software, say, and then write programs in C (or whatever) with SQL
FS> to access the databases?  I pulled up Access the other day but I
FS> couldn't figure out how to do anything with it.
Correct, you must first create the database (structure, links,
indices, etc.) with the native database tool.  I _think_ that Access is
very automated in that everything is point and click.  Anyway you may
have to go to the Access docs themselves in order to get the complete
poop on that; MS on-line documentation is VERY extensive, also.
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