Migrating PowerHouse 4GL Applications
Cognos PowerHouse 4GL Background
PowerHouse is a fourth-generation programming language or 4GL that was created by Cognos in the early 1980s. Back then, building business applications from scratch was time-consuming, expensive, and required highly skilled developers. PowerHouse was introduced to change that.
It was built with one main goal in mind: to make building database applications faster and easier. This mattered a lot to large companies running on mainframes and minicomputers like HP3000 or DEC VAX. These systems needed tools to develop custom applications such as payroll, inventory, invoicing, or student records without spending months writing thousands of lines of COBOL.
PowerHouse made it possible to create those applications quickly, using less code and a simpler, more descriptive syntax. Instead of focusing on how to do something, developers just had to define what they wanted, and PowerHouse took care of the rest. This kind of “declarative programming” was a major shift from traditional coding.
Its popularity took off in industries where data-heavy processes needed stability like government agencies, universities, banks, and manufacturers. Even now, decades later, some organizations still rely on PowerHouse systems that have been running steadily for 20 or 30 years.
What happens to my Cognos PowerHouse code during the migration process?
For those visitors who have a good knowledge of PowerHouse 4GL, below is a summary of what happens to the various components in the PowerHouse language and what moves from what to where. More details about the PowerHouse Language in general are provided later on..
What happens to the PowerHouse Dictionary Language (PDL) during the migration process?
The PowerHouse Dictionary is the corner stone and foundation of all PowerHouse 4GL business applications developed in PowerHouse. PDL is the language that is used to create the PowerHouse dictionary. The PowerHouse dictionary centralizes all the and stored metadata definitions, element sizes, column datatypes, descriptions of the data used by the business application including table structures, relational databases and column definitions.
All programs including Quick, Quiz, Qtp, Qshow, Qutil and others are layered on top of the dictionary and read/use it at run-time for metadata definitions. This is what makes PowerHouse 4GL such a powerful programming language.
In the Migrated Solution, the dictionary is preserved and moved forward into Relational structures in the target relational database. All important definitions are presered, ensuring your definitions are preserved moving forward. The PDL file is the first object design recovered in the CORE Repository and is used extensilvely during the design recovery and forward engineering phases of the Project.
What happens to the the Application Data during the migration process?
Many of our clients have already moved their data to a relational platforms like Oracle or SQL Server and the client wishes to retain the database in its entirety. This these cases, the only data conversion requirements for the migrated solution includes the dictionary files (sequential, direct, relative) files which are migrated to new Relational structures.
For those clients who have their data in non-relational data platforms such a C-ISAM, IMAGE, etc, the CORE data conversion process is used which creates the relational data structures from the PowerHouse dictionary as well as the processes to convert the data into the new database. For those non relational data structures that contain arrays and redefinitions, we work with you and your team to normalize these non-relational structures into a normalized format for the new programs.
Finally, for those clients who are using PowerHouse subfiles (regular and portable) Sub-files, The Core Migration Method migrates these Sub-files to new relational tables in the relational database. Typically these tables are created in a new schema called TEMPORARY DATA.
What happens to the Quick screens during the migration process?
Quick is used for running data entry screens and data inquiry screens. The Quick screens accesses the Cognos Dictionary that was created from PDL and uses this to read and update the underlying data structures.
All Quick screens in the migrated solutions are migraterd into three layers
- The Presentation Layer – All fields, titles and UI presentation components are migrated to Angular or React cloud based interfaces. The presentation layer interacts with the business logic layer. React or Angular are typically used for cloud-based web enabled forms.
- The Business Logic Layer – All procedual logic (INITIALIZE, ENTRY, FIND, etc) procedures are migrated to the business logic layer in the form of API calls. The front end interfacts with these API’s to process the required data. CORE supports both Java and C#.
- The Data Access Layer – All data access is centralized in the Data Access layer. Each table in the application is migrated to a common class accesses by all new application objects. This separation allows additional logic and methods to be added where required. We use lightweight Object relaional models (ORMs) like Dapper for C# and MyBatis for Java based target based applications.
What happens to the Qtp batch processes during the migration process?
QTP is the batch processor in a Cognos PowerHouse business application. QTP is used to update data in batch which are typically run after normal business hours. These programs typically read and write large sets of data in a single go. Qtp programs include deep business logic and is used to transform the data from one state to another. In the modern world, Qtp is essentially an Extract, Tranform and Load (ETL) process.
In the Qtp programming language, Qtp programs can be further broken down into “steps” or REQUESTs (in PowerHouse nomanclature). These steps are typically used to decompose the batch update process in logical steps (for example, step 1: read all Invoices ready to processed and load in subfile, step 2: process all selected records in subfile and create payments, step 3: ready all selected records in subfile and update invoice status to processed and update the processed date.
In the migrated solution, each Qtp program is migrated to a main C# or Java (spring batch) “Job” controller program and each REQUEST is migrated to a C#/Java class. The main “Job” controller class is used to process GLOBAL variables and to coordinate and control the calls to each of the individual batch steps.
All sufiles used by the Qtp programs are migrated to the relational database in a separate schema called TEMPORARYDATA. This makes processing data consistent across the application and improved performance.
Finally, ACCESS linkages in the Qtp request are migrated to a single SQL SELECT statement using inner and outer joins (for OPTIONAL) and acceses TEMPORARYDATA (subfiles) data structures where required. This single SELECT improves performance and is more natural to work with by existing and new application developers alike.
What happens to the Quiz report processes during the migration process?
QUIZ is the Cognos PowerHouse report writer in a Cognos PowerHouse business application. QUIZ can produce output on a printer, in an ASCII disc file on the Operating system as well as the ability to extract data from database tables into a PowerHouse subfile. Quiz programs can include deep business logic and is used to report on the data in a PowerHouse application.
In the migrated solution, each QUIZ program is migrated to a main C# or Java program. All output reports are generated by default in disc files that mirror the output and layout of the original QUIZ program. Additional integration with Jasper Reports or other report writing tools is possible. Talk to your CORE representative for more information.
All sufiles used by the Quiz programs are migrated to the relational database in a separate schema called TEMPORARYDATA. This makes processing data consistent acrross the application and improved performance.
Finally, ACCESS linkages in the Quiz request are migrated to a single SQL SELECT statement using inner and outer joins (for OPTIONAL) and access TEMPORARYDATA (subfiles) data structures where required. This single SELECT improved performance and is more natural to work with by existying and new application developers alike.
What happens to the Job scripts processes during the migration process?
Job Scripts exists on every operating system supported by PowerHouse. On Unix systems, the job scripts were typically developed in shell scripts. On a VAX/VMS system job scripts were created in DCL (Digital Command Language), while on IBM environments these are typically coded using JCL or CL programs.
Job scripts are essentially used to run business processes. Typically, these business processes are run during off-hours and are used to coordinate the running of Qtp, Quiz and other low level oeprating system commands.
More General information on the The PowerHouse Programming Language
PowerHouse isn’t just one tool—it’s a suite that includes Quick, Quiz, and QTP, each playing a specific role:
- Quick – This tool is used to create user interfaces for data entry. On older systems, this meant screen-based forms where staff could input and update data (like adding a new employee or changing an order).
- Quiz – Quiz is the reporting engine. It allows users to easily pull data from the database and format it into meaningful reports. It could handle totals, subtotals, filters, and even calculated fields with very little effort.
- QTP (Quick Transaction Processor) – This is where business logic lives. QTP scripts are used to define how data should be processed behind the scenes—for example, validating input, performing calculations, or updating multiple tables based on one action.
Together, these tools allowed developers to build a full application in much less time than it would take with traditional programming languages. They could reuse code, make changes quickly, and keep things consistent across the system.
PowerHouse applications were mostly used on mainframes and minicomputers, but over time, the platform expanded to support UNIX, Windows, and OpenVMS environments as well. Still, most systems using PowerHouse today are legacy systems that have been in place for many years.
What types of Business applications have we seen PowerHouse Used For and migrated?
PowerHouse was used primarily to build business-critical applications that needed to be fast, stable, and tailored to a company’s exact processes. Some examples include:
Insurance, Finance and Accounting Systems
We’ve migrated many business applications Used for financial insurance claims processing and financial applications like general ledger, accounts payable, invoicing, and reconciliation reports.
Inventory and Supply Chain Management
Companies have asked us to migrated custom software to track stock levels, purchase orders, and deliveries.
Human Resources and Payroll
We’ve been involved on numerous PowerHouse migraiton projects that manage employee records, salaries, timekeeping, and benefits.
Government and Public Services
Agencies built systems for case management, student information systems, tax processing, and document tracking.
Utilities and Telecom Billing
These industries relied on PowerHouse to generate billing data, manage customer records, and produce detailed monthly reports.
What made PowerHouse attractive was how it streamlined development. Companies didn’t need large teams to get an application off the ground. PowerHouse had a set of tightly integrated tools that covered the entire development cycle—user input screens, backend processing, and reporting.
The common thread in all these examples is data—PowerHouse excels at helping organizations manage, organize, and report on large volumes of data efficiently.
Pros and Cons of PowerHouse
Pros
Faster Development
You can build working applications in a fraction of the time it takes with traditional coding. This was a game-changer for IT departments with limited time and resources.
Built for Business
PowerHouse speaks the language of business. Developers don’t have to deal with low-level code—they just describe what they want the system to do with the data.
Stable and Reliable
Many PowerHouse applications have been running without major issues for decades. That level of dependability is rare with modern systems.
All-in-One Toolkit
The Quick-Quiz-QTP combo means you don’t have to stitch together different tools for screens, logic, and reports. Everything works together out of the box.
Cross-Database Compatibility
PowerHouse can work with different database systems, which adds flexibility for organizations that migrate backends over time.
Cons
Legacy Technology
PowerHouse is considered outdated by today’s standards. There are very few new developers learning it, and fewer companies still support it.
Limited Modern Features
Modern user interfaces, web access, and mobile support are either nonexistent or difficult to add. It’s not built for the cloud, APIs, or real-time updates.
Vendor Dependency
IBM (which owns PowerHouse now) controls support and licensing. If IBM discontinues it, businesses may be forced to migrate.
Difficult to Integrate
Connecting PowerHouse applications to modern systems (like CRMs, cloud platforms, or analytics tools) often requires middleware, custom development, or workarounds.
Expensive to Maintain
If something breaks or needs updating, finding someone who still knows PowerHouse can be time-consuming and costly.
Final Thoughts
PowerHouse is one of those technologies that solved a very real problem—how to develop powerful business applications quickly and reliably. It brought structure, speed, and consistency to enterprise software in an era when those things were hard to come by.
Even though it’s no longer a mainstream tool, PowerHouse still powers the core systems of many large organizations around the world. In some cases, these legacy systems are too valuable or complex to replace outright. That’s why modernization efforts often aim to preserve the logic and functionality of PowerHouse applications while moving them to modern platforms.
Understanding PowerHouse means appreciating how business software evolved—and how some older technologies still play a big role in today’s digital infrastructure.