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JetBrains IDE Plugin

Flexible COBOL: COBOL Editing and Debugging in the IDE

Navigate COBOL programs and copybooks, compile, run and debug with GnuCOBOL, and send jobs to z/OS over z/OSMF, all inside a JetBrains IDE. The parser is native, so no language server is needed.
Install from Marketplace See pricing

IntelliJ IDEA · CLion · PyCharm · WebStorm · PhpStorm · GoLand · Rider · + All JetBrains IDEs (2023.3 and newer)

391
NIST COBOL-85 programs parsed with zero errors
z/OSMF
Compile, link and run on z/OS from the IDE
MCP
Tools that give AI agents your program outline

01

Understand Legacy Code Fast

Open a COBOL program and get context-aware completion, go to declaration and find usages. The plugin knows the IBM Enterprise COBOL and GnuCOBOL dialects, in fixed and free source format. EXEC SQL and EXEC CICS blocks are parsed too.
  • Completion that fits the position: verbs at a statement start, ELSE and END-IF inside an open IF
  • Call hierarchy across CALL, PERFORM and CICS LINK/XCTL
  • Copybook resolution across configurable paths, with REPLACING-aware rename
  • Structure view of every division, section and paragraph
Keyword completion popup listing END-ACCEPT, END-ADD and END-CALL below an EXEC CICS block

02

Hover Docs and Inspections

Press Ctrl+Q on a verb, a reserved word, a PIC symbol or a CICS command to read its documentation. The plugin has 10 inspections with quick fixes, such as unused data items, unresolved COPY and missing scope terminators.
Hover popup for LINKAGE SECTION in a COBOL file, with the project tree and a Problems list of unused data items

03

Compile, Run and Debug

Run COBOL programs with GnuCOBOL from a run configuration. Set the main file, program arguments, working directory, extra cobc flags and environment variables. Compiler errors are clickable. The debugger steps by COBOL line and shows your data by COBOL name.
Run/Debug Configurations dialog for a COBOL run configuration with main file, program arguments and extra cobc arguments

04

Start a New Project

The new project wizard has a COBOL generator. Pick the source format and let it create a sample program with a copybook, so you can run something right away.
New Project dialog with the COBOL generator, a Source format field set to FREE and the sample program option checked

05

Readable Colors

The plugin ships color schemes for Default and Darcula. Divisions, picture strings, pseudo text and the embedded EXEC body each have their own color. In fixed format the sequence and indicator areas are dimmed.
Color Scheme settings page for COBOL with a fixed-format sample program in the Darcula scheme

06

AI That Can Read Your Programs

Ask questions about your COBOL project in the AI chat. It works with Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Cursor and other agents, or with your own API key. The MCP server of the plugin gives any MCP client the program outline, data items, usages and call graph.
The COBOL AI chat tool window answering a question about the open cics-sample.cbl file

Simple, Transparent Pricing

Try it free from JetBrains Marketplace. Purchase through JetBrains Marketplace.

Individual

For solo developers

$7.90/month

  • Native COBOL parser, no language server
  • Copybook navigation and call hierarchy
  • GnuCOBOL compile, run and debug
  • z/OS over z/OSMF
Get Started

TEAMS

Organization

For teams and companies

$19.90/month

  • Everything in Individual
  • Organization license for teams and companies
  • Purchase through JetBrains Marketplace
Get Started
Students & open source: Flexible COBOL is free for students and open source projects. Non-profits get 50% off. Contact us to claim it. Report a bug or an idea and get 20% off the annual license, or one month free.

Bring COBOL Into a Modern IDE

Install Flexible COBOL from the JetBrains Marketplace and open a COBOL project. Flexible COBOL is an unofficial plugin. It is not affiliated with IBM, GnuCOBOL or JetBrains.
Install from Marketplace