The capabilities of IBM's Mainframe Operating Systems of the early 1970s were limited . Lack of Spooling system was one of the limitations. Group of four expert Programmers offered IBM a Spooling System which could be integrated into IBM's Operating System. IBM was ready to pay for that Spooling System because it would enhance significantly the Multi Tasking capabilities. IBM's managers asked them: How long it will take to code the Spooling System and integrate it with the Operating System? The answer was: 6 months. How long it will take if we will add 70 programmers to your team? The answer was: 2 years. Only the 4 experts participated in writing HASP the first Spooling System in IBM Mainframe Operating System. Later versions evolved from HASP were Jes2 and Jes3. Lessons Learned on AI Coding Code created by AI probably is in the level of code created by the 70 programmers mentioned in the previous paragraph. The code built by the four experts is a lot better....
Legacy Systems Modernization is not simple : is Claude Code COBOL Modernization a useful tool or Hype?
In previous posts titled Anthropic code or Hypethropic code? and Anthropic code: No Revenues Plan as Immaturity i ndicator I was very skeptical about current Anthropic code capabilities. This post is about the unrealistic dream of transforming Legacy Mainframe COBOL Systems to modern systems by using Claude code COBOL tool. More than 50 years ago I was a COBOL Programmer. Afterwards I was a Systems Programmer and a CTO. I participated in Mainframe systems architecture changes, replacement and maintenance, as well as Mainframes migration projects and Modernization projects. The main issues are not pure coding issues. Some of the major obstacles will be dwelled upon in the following paragraphs. Functionality and flow of the System Usually nobody knows and understands it completely. Claude code COBOL tool will create System which is not downward compatible. The systems were written decades ago and...