Finding All Currency Fields

Code-scanning tools, such as TechForce's Cosmos and Origin's Lida, help users trace information flow and data paths in software applications and reveal all currency fields that need to be adapted. For example, Cosmos can identify the exact context in which currency fields are used, thus qualifying those date fields that will cause problems and those that will not. This avoids unnecessary and risky repairs. Cosmos works with C, C++, and Cobol.

Origin's Lida is made up of three components: a language-logic parameter file, a pattern-definition parameter file, and a general-purpose scanning engine. The language-logic file consists of rules that define the character istics and structures of computer languages and system environments. To date, Origin has developed files for several dozen programming environments, inc luding IBM 370 assembly language, COBOL, C, C++, and Visual Basic. The company has also completed files for several fourth-generation languages (4GLs), including PowerSoft's PowerBuilder.

The pattern-definition parameter file contains rules that define the essence of the issue for which the scanning takes place. For the year-2000 problem, these would include specifications for date files and for the types of operations in which date fields would typically be involved. For Euro-conversion problems, scanning takes place for fields with names that contain, for example, "DEM" or "CCY" or that have two decimal places, or where multiplications involving currency fields are involved, such as accruals.

Origin's scanning engine, written in Perl, exploits that language's pattern-matching ability. (Origin says Perl supports t he matching and replacing of arbitrary strings better than any other general-purpose language.)

The actual scanning of code is usually a fairly rapid process once the environment is set up and source files are prepared in ASCII format. The engine allows interaction from tracing logic through code and permits the manual or automatic flagging of prospective currency-related problems. The system also calculates the amount of code in need of change to help estimate the cost and time that will be involved in the conversion.