convert cobol binary file to text file using python script

To call a COBOL binary file in a script and process it as you described, you can use a Python script to read the binary data, decode it, and write the output to a text file. Here’s an enhanced version of your script to handle the binary data more effectively:

Python Script to Process COBOL Binary File

1. Import necessary modules:

   • struct for handling binary data.
   • os for file operations.

2. Define field widths:

   • Create a list of field widths according to your COBOL file layout.

3. Read and process the binary file:

   • Open the COBOL binary file in read-binary mode.
   • Open an output text file in write mode.
   • Read the binary data and decode it based on the defined field widths.
   • Write the decoded data to the output text file.

Here is the complete script:

import struct

# Define field widths according to your COBOL file layout
field_widths = [10, 20, 30] # Update this list based on your actual field widths
record_size = sum(field_widths)

# Open the COBOL binary file in read-binary mode
with open('cobol_binary_file.dat', 'rb') as binary_file:
# Open the output text file in write mode
with open('output.txt', 'w') as text_file:
while True:
# Read a record of size record_size from the binary file
record_data = binary_file.read(record_size)
if not record_data:
break # End of file

# Decode the binary data into fields based on the field widths
fields = []
offset = 0
for width in field_widths:
field = record_data[offset:offset + width].decode('utf-8').strip()
fields.append(field)
offset += width

# Join the fields with commas and write to the output text file
text_data = ','.join(fields)
text_file.write(text_data + '\n')

print("Conversion complete. Output written to output.txt")

How to Run the Script

1. Ensure Python is installed on your machine.
2. Place your COBOL binary file (e.g., cobol_binary_file.dat) in the same directory as your script.
3. Run the script from the command line or an IDE.

Notes:

• Field Widths: Make sure to adjust the field_widths list to match the actual widths of the fields in your COBOL file.
• Character Encoding: The script assumes UTF-8 encoding. Adjust if your file uses a different encoding.
• Error Handling: Add error handling as needed for robustness, especially if dealing with potentially corrupted files or unexpected data formats.

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