Extract text from cablabel and COBOL files (CBL)
To convert CBL files to another format, you need cablabel R2+ or other Page Layout software.
To convert other file formats to the "Label Design File" file type, you need software like cablabel R2+ or a similar tool.
The .CBL file format serves three distinct, incompatible purposes. Most frequently, it functions as a proprietary label design file created by cablabel R2+. These files utilize the Microsoft Compound format to store barcode definitions, vector graphics, and text layouts for thermal printers. Alternatively, .CBL is famously used as a plain text source code file for COBOL, a legacy business programming language. A smaller percentage of these files operate as game library databases for CCBridge Chinese Chess software.
The primary disadvantage of the .CBL format is its severe fragmentation and proprietary nature. If a vendor sends you a .CBL label design, you are completely locked out unless you purchase and install the specific cablabel software suite. Web browsers and standard image viewers cannot read the internal Microsoft Compound structure of these label layouts. Furthermore, sending raw COBOL source files to non-developers often results in confusion, as they lack syntax highlighting and run environments.
To overcome these limitations, you must convert the file based on its contents. For sharing label designs universally, convert .CBL to PDF or PNG - this preserves the barcode layout and allows immediate viewing on any device. For COBOL scripts, converting to standard TXT or PDF ensures proper documentation and readability. Drop your file here to view and convert it securely right in your browser.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CBL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
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If you want to convert CBL file to JS, TS, PY, JAVA, CPP, C, CS, PHP, RB, GO, RS or SWIFT, you can use cablabel R2+ or similar software from the "Label Design & Source Code" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SH, PY, KT, PS1, SWIFT, LUA, PL, JAVA, SCALA, JS, VBS or TS files to CBL, try cablabel R2+ or another comparable tool in the "Label Design & Source Code" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CBL converter.