COBOL Developer Academy 

COBOL Academy Full Program

This COBOL Developer Academy will provide a solid foundation for those wanting to become z/OS mainframe developers. It will provide fundamental knowledge of the mainframe environment, TSO/ISPF, MVS JCL, COBOL programming, CICS, and Db2. This boot camp will ensure that each student comes out prepared and ready to be a productive developer. Each module is a combination of lecture and hands on workshops. Easily half of each module is running jobs, writing and compiling code, testing, and debugging giving them a great jump start for real-world development. Each module drives home good coding techniques and ‘Best Practices’, always with an emphasis on performance. 

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Your Path to Success

We understand the technical tug of war: developers want to learn and grow, and employers want their developers to be productive. With a custom DeveloperAcademy™, both sides win! Our DeveloperAcademy™ programs are structured to allow for classroom time and application time, giving developers an immersive opportunity to learn while doing and providing employers with a way to ensure knowledge is being integrated into daily work life. Programs include a number of weeks for classroom time, with off weeks in between. Students can continue their learning during off weeks through self study, project work and collaborating with peers. Based on our experience, this combination of knowledge transfer and application creates more effective training outcomes.

Program Curriculum

The following is an example COBOL Academy. All organizations handle Agile development differently, so we can customize an COBOL Academy specifically to meet the needs of your team.

z/OS JCL, TSO/ISPF & z/OS Utilities

5 Days

This module is very hands on and teaches the fundamentals of many TSO/ISPF commands. You will come out of this feeling comfortable logging in and navigating your way around. It covers the different types and allocation of datasets, the JCL language, submitting jobs and evaluating job output. There is 2 days of TSO/ISPF followed by 3 days of JCL.

Topics include:

  • Mainframe Overview

  • TSO Overview

  • Accessing Data on the Mainframe

  • ISPF Overview

  • ISPF Browse, View, and Edit

  • ISPF Editing

  • ISPF Utilities Menu Option

  • JCL Overview

  • Program Execution EXEC Statement

  • Data Definition DD Statement

  • Datasets

  • SMS Storage Management Subsystem

  • IBM Utilities

  • JCL Procedures

Introduction to COBOL Programming

5 Days

This module provides application developers with basic knowledge in developing COBOL programs in a mainframe environment. It is designed for both new and experienced programmers. They will learn as much COBOL in 1 week to make them instantly productive in maintaining changes or writing new programs. Students will have hands on workshops of programs to code, test, and compile for report writing and file processing.

Topics include:

  • COBOL Essentials

  • COBOL Overview

  • COBOL Definitions

  • Procedure Division

  • Editing and Branching

  • Testing and Debugging

  • Structured COBOL

  • COBOL Reports

  • Arithmetic Statements and Intrinsic Functions

  • Working with Characters

  • Table Handling

  • Testing and Debugging

  • Structured Program Development

Advanced COBOL Programming

5 Days

This module provides application developers with more complex knowledge in developing COBOL programs in a mainframe environment. Time is spent in more difficult programming workshops using both VSAM and sequential file processing, 2 dimensional arrays, internal sorting, COBOL sub programs and intrinsic functions. Much of the time is spent on hands on workshops writing and testing programs.

Topics include:

  • Testing and Debugging Review

  • COBOL Reports Review

  • Table Handling

  • Calling other programs

  • How to use Access Method Services to work with VSAM files

  • How to work with indexed files

  • COBOL Intrinsic Functions

  • Variable Length Record Processing

  • Sorting and Merging

  • Testing and Debugging

Db2 for z/OS SQL & Application Programming

5 Days

Db2 SQL and Application Programming is a 5 day module targeting the needs of programmers and developers writing applications that access data stored in the Db2 environment.The presentation is an integrated mixture of lecture and workshop activities that introduce and reinforce the basic techniques and approaches to relational database technology as implemented in Db2. Topics covered include structure and manipulation of Db2 data, operational considerations in both on-line and batch environments; integrity; embedded programming techniques and preparation; and an introduction to performance analysis.

Topics include:

  • Structured Query Language (SQL)

  • Relational Database Concepts

  • Basic Data Manipulation

  • Intermediate Data Manipulation

  • Built-in Functions

  • Aggregation

  • Joins

  • Data Modification

  • Complex Joins

  • SQL Subqueries

  • Set Operations

  • Embedded Application Programming

  • Db2 on the z/OS Platform

  • Introduction to Embedded SQL

  • Program Preparation

  • Cursors

  • Performance

CICS TS Command Level Programming

5 Days

An entry-level CICS training module designed to provide the accomplished COBOL programmer with all the tools necessary to code, test and debug CICS programs. The student will become familiar with the concepts and terminology of on-line, interactive, database / data communications systems. Through the extensive use of case studies and hands-on workshops, the student will build a multi-program system using terminal communications, screen mapping, program communications, as well as file processing, intermediate storage and the concept of multi-tasking. The computer will be used to run  problems programmed by students. This provides a useful workshop orientation to the module.

Topics include:

  • Introduction to CICS

  • Overview – Program, Transactions and Tasks

  • Screen Handling – Terminal Control and Basic

  • Program Control

  • Debugging and Testing with CICS/EDF

  • File Requests Processing

  • Handling Errors

  • Temporary Storage Services

  • Transient Data Processing

  • Interval Control

  • Other CICS Functions and Features

What’s Included in Your COBOL DeveloperAcademy™?

DeveloperAcademy™ is an easy-to-adopt, turnkey alternative to in-house, centralized learning & development (L&D) for technical employees. Every Academy features all of the full-service components below.

  • A collaborative learning platform
  • Access to a world-class self-paced content library
  • A dedicated Program Manager
  • Custom learning paths that meet your organization’s technology needs
  • Pre- and post-measurement on outcomes
  • Standardized reports
  • Classroom instruction led by experts
  • Real-world labs
  • A capstone project of your choice for all students to contribute to
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Our Proven Process

Scope

DI learns more about your current technology and your desired future state. What do you do today? Where do you want to be? We ask questions so that we can uncover your needs and design a DeveloperAcademy™ that will help you accomplish your goals.

Survey

Now that we know your goals, let’s get to know your team. What do they want to learn? Where are their knowledge gaps? We know you have business objectives to meet, but your team wants to learn, and infusing your DeveloperAcademy™ with technologies that keep them inspired will help you gain buy-in.

Design

We map your program goals to your team’s technology wish list to create a customized DeveloperAcademy™. Using our best-practice template, we work with our team of SMEs and experienced content developers to create a program that delivers results.

Deliver

Your dedicated program manager takes it from here, handling the implementation of your DeveloperAcademy™: scheduling, logistics, enrollments, pre-work, class materials, instructor prep, reporting, and measurement. Throughout your Academy program, your program manager ensures that courses run smoothly, students meet expectations, and you achieve your desired results.

Next Steps

We will follow up to schedule a scoping call with your team to learn more about your specific company needs and begin building out your custom academy!