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GnuCOBOL — translate COBOL to C and build with native toolchains

OSS scale score 122.2OSS health 76Update pace 24 commits/30d
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OSS scale score is an unbounded metric that log-compresses and weights Stars, Watchers, Forks, and Contributors. Discovery score is the current OSS scale score minus the score at discovery. Update pace is commits in the last 30 days, growth momentum is the OSS scale score difference within the recent observation window, and OSS health is a 0–100 rating based on available recency, Community Health, and release data.

Stars
70
Primary language
C
License
LGPL-3.0
Repository last updated
Sep 17, 2026

Overview

GnuCOBOL implements substantial portions of COBOL 85, COBOL 2002, COBOL 2014, and common vendor extensions. It translates COBOL into C and uses the platform's native C compiler and linker to produce executables on Unix/Linux, macOS, Windows, and other systems.

Features and best fit

Based on official documentation; not hands-on tested · Content checked:

Translate COBOL to C and reuse native compiler infrastructure

The cobc compiler lowers COBOL source to C and invokes the host toolchain to create objects and executables.

Sources: [2][5]

Support multiple COBOL standards and runtime features

The project implements multiple COBOL standards and extensions, with libcob providing runtime services and file-handling behavior.

Sources: [2][5]

For building and testing legacy COBOL code on modern systems

GnuCOBOL fits education, migration analysis, local development, CI, and modernization workflows around existing COBOL applications.

Sources: [2][5]

Understand the GitHub clone and mixed GPL/LGPL licensing

This repository is a clone of the upstream SourceForge project. Compiler programs are GPLv3 while lib/libcob are LGPLv3, so distribution should be reviewed component by component.

Sources: [2][3][4]

Official sources

  1. [1]OCamlPro/gnucobol GitHub clone(2026-09-20)
  2. [2]GnuCOBOL README(2026-09-20)
  3. [3]GnuCOBOL GPLv3(2026-09-20)
  4. [4]GnuCOBOL LGPLv3 runtime license(2026-09-20)
  5. [5]GNU GnuCOBOL project(2026-09-20)
Supplemental curator note

This GitHub repository describes itself as a clone of the SourceForge GnuCOBOL source. Compiler programs are GPLv3 while lib and libcob runtime components are LGPLv3. Consult the GNU/Savannah/SourceForge upstream resources as well as this mirror.

Try it in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Install GnuCOBOL and verify the compiler

    Install GnuCOBOL through your OS package manager or the upstream instructions and confirm cobc is available.

    cobc -V
  2. 2

    Create a minimal COBOL program

    Create a small free-format Hello World program.

    printf 'identification division.\nprogram-id. hello.\nprocedure division.\n display "Hello from COBOL".\n stop run.\n' > hello.cob
  3. 3

    Compile to a native executable and run it

    Verify the basic COBOL-to-C/native-toolchain compilation path.

    cobc -x -free hello.cob -o hello && ./hello
Check the official README

Growth

Growth trends · Last 30 days

70 Stars

Trend data is still being collected.

Development activity

Last 90 days · weekly

Commits (last 30 days)
24
Open PRs
49
Issues opened
9
Issues closed
1
PRs opened
18
PRs merged
1

Issues

9 / 1

Jun 23Sep 20
Issues openedIssues closed

Pull requests

18 / 1

Jun 23Sep 20
PRs openedPRs merged

Maintenance

Median first response
8.1 hr
Issue response rate
12.5% (1/8)

Based on up to the 100 newest issues opened by external users in the last 90 days. A first comment from an OWNER, MEMBER, or COLLABORATOR counts as a response; issues whose full comment history cannot be checked are excluded. The median and response rate update weekly.

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GitHub data

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GitHub Topics

  • cobol
Stars
70
Forks
50
Watchers
10
Open issues
27
Contributors
5
Primary language
C
License
LGPL-3.0
Repository last updated
Sep 17, 2026
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