Getting started with Language Environment ILC

Interlanguage communication (ILC) applications are applications built of two or more high-level languages (HLLs) and frequently assembler. ILC applications run outside of the realm of a single language's environment, which creates special conditions, such as how the languages' data maps across load module boundaries, how conditions are handled, or how data can be called and received by each language.

This book helps you create ILC applications using Language Environment-conforming compilers. Most of the book is organized into "pairwise" chapters, which compare how each language handles different aspects of ILC, such as calling, data, reentrance, condition handling, and storage.

If your application contains more than two languages, you should read the section for each pair of languages first. For example, if your application consists of a C main routine that calls a COBOL subroutine, and the C main later calls a PL/I subroutine, read the chapters on C to COBOL and C to PL/I ILC. Then read Communicating between multiple HLLs for additional information about developing multiple-language applications. If you have ILC with assembler or under CICS®, see Communicating between assembler and HLLs and ILC under CICS.