We are trying to figure out an XML architecture for our IBM mainframe applications. Most of them are in COBOL. We are planning to do these programs in Java in the long term. The first problem we have is in finding parsers for COBOL. The other problem is in understanding XML implementations. What are the advantages of parsing XML in programs (either Java or COBOL) as opposed to tranforming them to flat file formats using a middleware product like Mercator/MessageBroker/MQ Integrator ?
Any XMLimplementation experience would be good feedback.
