FUTURE SYSTEMS / 01COBOL / COPYBOOKS / QA AUTOMATION2026

MAINFRAME TEST DATA / 01

COPYBOOK STUDIO

MAP
SHAPE
TEST
Copybook Studio inside VS Code with a COBOL layout, field generators and mainframe dataset controlsREAL PRODUCT / VS CODE EXTENSION

Turn record structures into test-ready data.

DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM / 01

STRUCTURED INPUT.
VERIFIED BYTES.

Copybook Studio is a TypeScript extension that turns Enterprise COBOL record definitions into a byte-aware field model inside VS Code. Node.js file workflows connect copy members, saved JSON scenarios, local RAW output and mainframe-ready records.

COBOLRecord grammar + copybooksTypeScriptParser + generator logicNode.jsFiles + binary workflowsJSONRules + repeatable seedsHTMLExtension workspaceCSSInterface systemCodexAI development agentGitHubSource + version historyCursorAgentic code editingVisual StudioNative IDE + debuggerVS CodeCode editor + tooling
WHAT MADE THE BUILD DIFFERENT

PIC and USAGE clauses, alignment, fixed OCCURS and REDEFINES establish the record layout before generation, so logical previews, hex inspection, export and transfer all verify the same canonical buffer.

THE TOOL / 01

Copybook Studio is a VS Code extension for generating mainframe test records from COBOL copybooks and record layouts. It builds one validated binary buffer that can be previewed, verified, exported as RAW data or transferred to a mainframe dataset.

KEY FEATURES

01Enterprise COBOL layout parsing

02Fixed, sequential, random, list and edge generators

03Logical, RAW, mainframe text and HEX previews

04Zowe and BMC DevX dataset workflows

THE FLOWOPEN → CONFIGURE → VERIFY → TRANSFER
  1. 01OPEN

    Open a .cpy, .copybook, .cob or .cbl source and choose the active 01/77 record layout.

  2. 02CONFIGURE

    Set record count, seed and code page, then assign Fixed, Sequential, Random, List, Edge, Blank or Zero generators.

  3. 03VERIFY

    Preview logical values, exact RAW bytes, mainframe text or mainframe HEX with LRECL and structural validation.

  4. 04TRANSFER

    Save a verified RAW package or write the same bytes to a mainframe dataset through Zowe or BMC DevX.

PRODUCT SYSTEM / 01

THE STRUCTURE
IS THE SOURCE.

Copybook Studio brings copybook-driven test-data generation directly into VS Code. Open a COBOL layout, choose the active 01/77 record, configure its fields and produce verified records without leaving the editor.

INSIDE THE EDITOR

ONE EXTENSION.
MAINFRAME READY.

Copybook Studio extension overview in Visual Studio Code
EXTENSION / PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Copybook Studio installs as a VS Code extension and exposes its workflow beside the copybook source.

COPYBOOK STUDIO / VSIX
GENERATORS / 01—04

CONTROL EACH
FIELD OF INTENT.

Every qualified field gets its own generator, while record count, seed and code page stay part of the same scenario.

01CONTROL

FIXED

Set a qualified field to one exact value for every generated record.

02ORDER

SEQUENTIAL

Count upward or downward from a defined start with a controlled step.

03REPEAT

SEEDED RANDOM

Generate varied data from a saved seed so the same scenario is reproducible.

04PRESSURE

LIST + EDGE

Cycle through defined values or target type-aware boundaries, blanks and zeroes.

GENERATION WORKSPACE / 02

LAYOUT IN.
TEST DATA OUT.

The workspace exposes PIC, usage, offsets and byte lengths beside each rule. Preview logical records or RAW hex, then generate readable text, a local RAW file or a mainframe dataset.

Copybook Studio field generator workspace and mainframe dataset target controls
FIELD GENERATORS / DATASET TARGETFIXED / BLANK / SEQUENTIAL / RANDOM
LAYOUT ENGINE / 03

EXACT BYTES.
SAFE EXPORT.

01 / LAYOUTENTERPRISE COBOL

Groups, elementary fields, alignment padding, fixed OCCURS and REDEFINES overlays are resolved into one record layout.

02 / COPYSOURCE AWARE

COPY members are found in the source folder, workspace folders or configured paths, with cycle and missing-member diagnostics.

03 / BYTESONE BUFFER

Local RAW export, simulation, upload and SHA-256 verification all operate on the same validated bytes.

04 / SAFETYPREFLIGHT FIRST

LRECL, code page, expected size and structural errors are checked before physical export is enabled.

VERIFY BEFORE EXPORT

LOGICAL VALUES.
PHYSICAL BYTES.

Copybook Studio RAW hex preview with validated record lengths and field bytes
RAW PREVIEW / VALIDATED OUTPUT

Inspect the generated record length and field-level bytes before the file reaches a program or mainframe dataset.

LRECL 48 / STATUS VALID
INPUTCOBOL COPYBOOK→RULESSCENARIO JSON→OUTPUTRAW / MAINFRAME DATASET
PROJECT ACCESSCOBOL / TEST-DATA WORKSPACE

BUILD THE TEST FILE

Copybook Studio is packaged as a VS Code extension. Distribution details will be added here when a public build is available.

VSIX / ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT ●
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