Documentation

Quickstart

Get up and running with COBOL Bridge MCP tools in under 5 minutes. All tools are distributed as npm packages and connect to your AI environment through Anthropic's Model Context Protocol.

Installation

Each COBOL Bridge tool is an independent MCP server published on npm under the @csga scope. Install the tools you need:

# Core governance tools
npx @csga/cobol-copybook-parser
npx @csga/cics-bridge-assessment
npx @csga/jcl-batch-scanner
npx @csga/vsam-mapper
npx @csga/ebcdic-translator

# Sector-specific bundles
npx @csga/cobol-banking-bundle
npx @csga/cobol-government-bundle
npx @csga/cobol-healthcare-bundle
npx @csga/cobol-insurance-bundle

Configuration

Add COBOL Bridge tools to your MCP client configuration. For Claude Desktop, edit the claude_desktop_config.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cobol-copybook-parser": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@csga/cobol-copybook-parser"],
      "env": {
        "CASA_LEVEL": "CA-20",
        "COBOL_SOURCE_DIR": "/path/to/cobol/sources"
      }
    },
    "cics-bridge-assessment": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@csga/cics-bridge-assessment"],
      "env": {
        "CASA_LEVEL": "CA-20"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

First Analysis

Once configured, open Claude Desktop and ask it to analyse your COBOL code. The MCP tools automatically connect and provide structured results.

# Ask Claude to analyse a copybook
"Analyse the CUSTOMER-RECORD copybook in /src/copybooks/
and identify all field types, PIC clauses, and data
relationships. Generate a modernisation report."

# Claude will use the Copybook Parser MCP tool
# and return structured JSON with:
#   - Field definitions and data types
#   - REDEFINES relationships
#   - OCCURS/DEPENDING ON arrays
#   - Suggested modern schema mapping
#   - CASA governance annotations

Copybook Parser

Analyses COBOL copybook structures, extracts field definitions, PIC clauses, group-level hierarchies, REDEFINES relationships, and OCCURS arrays. Generates modern schema mappings and documentation.

Available Tools

CICS Bridge Assessment

Evaluates CICS transaction programs for API modernisation readiness. Analyses BMS maps, COMMAREA structures, and transaction flow patterns to generate RESTful API migration plans.

JCL Batch Scanner

Parses JCL job streams to identify step dependencies, dataset usage, PROC references, and execution patterns. Optimises batch windows and generates dependency graphs for modernisation.

VSAM Mapper

Maps VSAM file structures (KSDS, ESDS, RRDS, LDS) to modern database schemas. Generates migration plans for PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or DynamoDB with full data validation rules.

EBCDIC Translator

Converts EBCDIC data formats with full character set mapping and validation. Supports packed decimal, zoned decimal, and binary field conversions with data integrity verification.

Claude Desktop Integration

COBOL Bridge tools are designed for seamless integration with Claude Desktop and Claude Code. Once configured, tools appear automatically in Claude's tool palette.

API Reference

All COBOL Bridge tools follow the MCP (Model Context Protocol) specification. Each tool exposes its capabilities through standard MCP tool definitions with typed parameters and structured responses.

Response Format

{
  "tool": "parse_copybook",
  "version": "1.2.0",
  "casa": {
    "level": "CA-20",
    "compliant": true,
    "audit_id": "aud_2026030512345"
  },
  "result": {
    // Tool-specific analysis data
  },
  "metadata": {
    "execution_ms": 1247,
    "files_analysed": 12,
    "timestamp": "2026-03-05T14:30:00Z"
  }
}

Deployment Options

CASA Certification

Every COBOL Bridge analysis includes CASA (Certified AI Safety Assurance) governance annotations. CASA provides four assurance levels, each mapping to specific regulatory and operational requirements.