COBOL calling REXX - Online

[SowKan]

I have a requirement in which a COBOL program is being used online. I need to send a e-mail via this program.
Is there a way to do it in COBOL itself?
On the other hand, I have the idea of calling a REXX from the COBOl program. For this REXX to execute, I should be using IRXJCL which is a batch utility. Is there a way by which COBOl can call this REXX online?

 

[mainframeboy]

The answer is YES to both questions.

I have read in the manuals where you can use TCP/IP socket calls within a COBOL program, so it should be feasible.

On the second part, you literally just call IRXJCL as you would any other sub-routine, i.e. CALL 'IRXJCL' USING REXX-PARM.

 

[RogerSpencer]

If you go to

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24003837

you can download two complete jobs illustrating how to call REXX programms from COBOL. The first is simpler to code and uses IRXJCL which only allows you to return a numeric value (return code) from your REXX to COBOL. If you wish for more (return code plus a character string) then call IRXEXEC, that's illustrated in the second example.