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Status Future consideration
Workspace z/OS
Categories LE
Created by Guest
Created on Feb 27, 2026

RELATED IDEAS

COBOL 6.4 and equivalent LE: Provide LE functions to convert BASE64 to binary and vice versa

BASE64 is widely used in web applications, email attachments, embedding binary data in a text file, imbedding a PDF in an HTML page, etc.

Providing LE functions so that COBOL 6.4 (and future compilers) can translate binary strings to BASE64 and vice versa would help propel COBOL into the future, even more than it already is.

I had to find 2 COBOL programs on the internet (Redvers Consulting Ltd.) which served my specific purpose at the time, but very few programmers would ever do such a thing. LE functions would be most advantageous.

Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    May 22, 2026
    .Thank you again for the quick response! I have accepted this idea as an Uncommitted Candidate.
    Reply
  • Guest
    May 22, 2026
    I figured it was worth asking as COBOL to Java is becoming more common. It certainly is not used in all shops though.
    If we provided callable services for encoding / decoding with base64 would that satisfy this request?
    1 reply
  • Guest
    May 22, 2026
    Hi, I would like to better understand the request. z/OS Language Environment has a series of callable services documented here: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.2.0?topic=reference-language-environment-callable-services
    Are you looking for new callable services for BASE64 encoding and decoding?
    Note that z/OS Language Environment callable services are not supported for AMODE64 applications.

    I was also curious if you've experimented with Interlanguage calls as a solution to this issue?
    One solution to this issue today would be to use the Java Base64 methods and call them through COBOL.
    Base 64 Java: https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/21/docs/api/java.base/java/util/Base64.html
    Calling Java from COBOL: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/cobol-zos/6.4.0?topic=framework-calling-static-java-methods-from-cobol
    1 reply

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