IBM Watsonx to use generative AI to translate COBOL code into Java

The product is targeted at modernizing mainframe applications that run on IBM Z systems, as the number of COBOL developers starts to dwindle.

随着COBOL开发人员的数量开始减少，该产品的目标是使在IBM Z系统上运行的大型机应用程序现代化。

In a bid to help IBM Z systems customers modernize their applications, IBM is expanding the abilities of its generative AI based Watson Code Assistant to include COBOL code translation into Java.

为了帮助IBM Z系统客户实现其应用程序的现代化，IBM正在扩展其基于生成AI的Watson Code Assistant的能力，以包括将COBOL代码转换为Java。

Big Blue claims that the introduction of the new capability is expected to counter the dwindling numbers of COBOL-proficient developers and challenges currently faced in the accelerated development of applications for mainframe systems.

蓝色巨人声称，新功能的引入有望应对精通cobol的开发人员数量的减少，以及目前在大型机系统应用程序的加速开发中面临的挑战。

Based on the IBM Code Assistant that was previewed in May, the new product, dubbed Watsonx Code Assistant for Z, uses Watsonx. ai’s code foundational model to generate new Java code to run on the Z operating system.

这款名为Watsonx Code Assistant for Z的新产品基于今年5月发布的IBM代码助手，使用了Watsonx ai的代码基础模型来生成新的Java代码以在Z操作系统上运行。

“Watsonx Code Assistant for Z is being engineered to feature automated code refactoring capabilities that can extract business services from a monolithic COBOL application,” an IBM spokesperson said in a demo video.

IBM的一位发言人在演示视频中表示:“用于Z的Watsonx Code Assistant被设计为具有自动代码重构功能，可以从单个COBOL应用程序中提取业务服务。”

Code refactoring is the process of converting code into a new programming language without changing its nature, behavior, or output.

代码重构是将代码转换为新的编程语言而不改变其性质、行为或输出的过程。

Before refactoring the code, developers will have to use the application discovery and delivery intelligence tool (ADDI), which is currently under development, to understand the target application dependencies and generate a metadata repository, IBM said.

IBM表示，在重构代码之前，开发人员必须使用目前正在开发的应用程序发现和交付智能工具(ADDI)来理解目标应用程序依赖关系并生成元数据存储库

A separate IBM tool has to be used to open the workbook and extract the COBOL code for a particular business service before being converted to Java, the company added.

该公司补充说，在转换为Java之前，必须使用一个单独的IBM工具来打开工作簿并提取特定业务服务的COBOL代码。

“The current prototype from Watsonx Code Assistant for Z analyses both the COBOL code and the data structures of the extracted business service to generate the Java classes,” the spokesperson said.

该发言人说:“目前来自Watsonx Code Assistant for Z的原型分析了COBOL代码和提取的业务服务的数据结构，以生成Java类。”

Once the Java code is generated, the output can be compared with the output of the COBOL code before deployment, IBM said, adding that a developer can enhance or modify the new code at any point during the process.

一旦生成了Java代码，就可以在部署之前将输出与COBOL代码的输出进行比较，IBM说，并补充说开发人员可以在过程中的任何时候增强或修改新代码。

Tools including ADDI will be offered with the new Watsonx Code Assistant for Z when it will be made generally available later this year with additional capabilities, the spokesperson said.

该发言人表示，包括ADDI在内的工具将与新的watson Code Assistant一起提供，该工具将于今年晚些时候上市，并具有额外的功能。

IBM is already working on using the Watson Code Assistant for generating content for its Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform.

IBM已经开始使用Watson Code Assistant为其Red Hat Ansible自动化平台生成内容。

This is expected to enable developers to write Ansible Playbooks with AI-generated recommendations, it said.

该公司表示，这有望使开发人员能够根据人工智能生成的建议编写Ansible playbook。