There are a number of different methods that can be used to enable XML file creation in a COBOL program. The methods directly offered by Visual COBOL are documented here:
There are also a set of .NET classes available for XML manipulation.
The COBOL XML Syntax extensions should be used only within a COBOL procedural program that can then be called from within your method. This is because it uses a preprocessor which does not support the class syntax.
A simple example of a program using the COBOL XML syntax is:
$set preprocess(prexml) endp
id division.
program-id. writexml.
environment division.
input-output section.
file-control.
select customers assign to "customers.xml"
organization is xml
document-type is omitted
file status is xml-status.
data division.
file section.
xd customers.
01 customerdb identified by "customerdb"
count in customerdb-count.
05 customer-record identified by "customer-record"
count in customer-record-count.
10 customer-id pic X(5) identified by "customer-id"
count in customer-id-count.
10 customer-name pic X(20) identified by "customer-name"
count in customer-name-count.
working-storage section.
01 xml-status pic s9(9) value 0.
procedure division.
open output customers
display xml-status
move "12345" to customer-id
move "john smith" to customer-name
write customerdb
display xml-status
close customers
stop run.
If you wish to use the .NET classes directly within your method then an example would be:
$set ilusing "System.Xml"
class-id WindowsFormsApplication1.Form1 is partial
inherits type System.Windows.Forms.Form.
working-storage section.
method-id NEW.
procedure division.
invoke self::InitializeComponent
goback.
end method.
method-id button1_Click final private.
procedure division using by value sender as object e as type System.EventArgs.
declare writer as type XmlTextWriter = new XmlTextWriter("product.xml", type System.Text.Encoding::UTF8)
invoke writer::WriteStartDocument(true)
set writer::Formatting to type Formatting::Indented
set writer::Indentation to 2
invoke writer::WriteStartElement("Table")
invoke createNode("1", "Product 1", "1000", writer)
invoke createNode("2", "Product 2", "2000", writer)
invoke createNode("3", "Product 3", "3000", writer)
invoke createNode("4", "Product 4", "4000", writer)
invoke writer::WriteEndElement
invoke writer::WriteEndDocument
invoke writer::Close
invoke type MessageBox::Show("XML File created ! ")
goback.
end method.
method-id createNode public.
procedure division using pID as string, pName as string, pPrice as string, writer as type XmlTextWriter.
invoke writer::WriteStartElement("Product")
invoke writer::WriteStartElement("Product_id")
invoke writer::WriteString(pID)
invoke writer::WriteEndElement
invoke writer::WriteStartElement("Product_name")
invoke writer::WriteString(pName)
invoke writer::WriteEndElement
invoke writer::WriteStartElement("Product_price")
invoke writer::WriteString(pPrice)
invoke writer::WriteEndElement
invoke writer::WriteEndElement
goback.
end method.
end class.