Support
Support
Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting. If your problem is not solved here, please reach us through the contact page.
About the product
- What is SIT COBOL?
- The name stands for "Smart Interpreter Training COBOL". It is software designed to support both learning and practicing COBOL programming. The editor and the execution environment come as one package, and it uses an interpreter architecture. Programmers of every level, from beginners to veterans, can use it.
- What is an interpreter?
- An interpreter reads source code line by line and executes it on the spot, interpreting as it goes. Unlike a compiler, which translates the whole program into machine code in advance, an interpreter evaluates the program at run time. Python, JavaScript, and Ruby are examples of interpreted languages.
- How is it different from other COBOL products?
- Most COBOL implementations are compilers. SIT COBOL is one of the few that take the interpreter approach: you can run code the moment you write it, stop after every statement, and inspect the values of your data — which makes it well suited to learning.
- What are the main features?
- No setup (ready to use right after unzipping), instant execution, execution that continues as far as possible even when the source has syntax errors, step execution, a trace mode, inspection of data values during execution, and a dedicated editor in the style of Visual Studio Code.
Licensing
- Is the Standard edition free?
- Yes. The Standard edition is free to use. There is no installation and no license registration — you can run it right after downloading. Except for indexed files and SQL, it offers the same functionality as the Pro edition.
- What does the Pro edition add?
- The Pro edition removes the functional restrictions and enables indexed file support and embedded SQL.
- Will a Pro license work with future versions?
- Yes. A Pro edition license remains valid for future versions as is.
- I lost my authentication code.
- You can request a reissue from the contact page.
Troubleshooting
- Execution takes a long time.
- Before execution the program is converted to intermediate code, which takes some time. For programs longer than 1,000 lines this can take several tens of seconds.
- Execution stops partway through.
- In rare cases the recovery from a syntax error fails. If your program is valid, please let us know through the contact page.