CIS*3190 - Software for Legacy Systems

Course Description

This course is an introduction to legacy software systems used in business, manufacturing, and engineering. Topics include COBOL programming, mainframe systems, and integration of legacy systems with contemporary computing systems.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the learner should be able to:

• Identify what legacy programs are, why they exist and the difficulties that result from them.
• Demonstrate a basic level of understanding and application related to legacy code in Fortran, Ada and Cobol.
• Analyze, translate and modernize, i.e. re-engineer, legacy code for Cobol and Fortran.
• Review a program written in a legacy language such as Fortran or Cobol, identify legacy and redundant features, and update the program in a newer dialect of the language.
• Obtain an understanding of the process of program re-engineering

Course Topics

• Legacy software: History, legacy systems today, applications.
• Fortran: Background and elementary language structures
• Intermediate Fortran: Advanced programming structures
• Modernizing Fortran: Converting programs in old dialects to newer versions of Fortran
• Ada: Background and elementary language
• Intermediate Ada: Intermediate programming structures of Ada
• Advanced Ada: Advanced programming structures of Ada
• Cobol: Background and elementary language structures
• Intermediate Cobol: Intermediate programming structures of Cobol
• Modernizing Cobol: Converting programs in old dialects to newer versions of Cobol
• Software Archeology and Re-engineering Legacy Code

Assessment