Get to know one of our side project fund winners, Otterkit!

Otterkit, a winner of the Tyk Side Project Fund 2023, is revitalizing the COBOL programming language through a free and open-source compiler that supports the latest COBOL standard (ISO/IEC 1989:2023). Founded out of a fascination with COBOL's modern capabilities hidden beneath its outdated reputation, Otterkit aims to modernize the language’s ecosystem by building on the .NET runtime, allowing COBOL code to be compiled into C# and further into bytecode or native builds. Unlike other costly COBOL compilers, Otterkit is accessible and free, making it attractive for developers worldwide. The project is currently in the final parsing stage, focusing on name resolution and type checking, with plans to introduce a package manager for COBOL to streamline dependency management. With the support of the Tyk fund, Otterkit will acquire full copies of the COBOL standard, ensuring their compiler adheres to the latest standards, and aims to positively impact the developer community by proving COBOL’s relevance in modern development environments.