Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: COBOL is 50 (ish)

  1. #1
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    United Kingdom: Bridlington
    Posts
    17,188

    Smile COBOL is 50 (ish)

    Yes, COBOL has been around for 50 years!

    Story is here:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09...name_birthday/


  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by nihil View Post
    Yes, COBOL has been around for 50 years!

    Story is here:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09...name_birthday/

    Never knew there was an object-oriented version of this language. What confused me is that the government originally setup 3 commitees-- short, intermediate, and long term. That last 2 committees failed. why? What is the advantage over perl, c++, and SQL?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COBOL



    Critics have argued that COBOL's syntax serves mainly to increase the size of programs, at the expense of developing the thinking process needed for software development. In his letter to an editor in 1975 titled "How do we tell truths that might hurt?", computer scientist and Turing Award recipient Edsger Dijkstra remarked that "The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offense."[6]

    COBOL 85 was not compatible with earlier versions, resulting in the "cesarean birth of COBOL 85". Joseph T. Brophy, CIO, Travelers Insurance, spearheaded an effort to inform users of COBOL of the heavy reprogramming costs of implementing the new standard. As a result the ANSI COBOL Committee received more than 3,200 letters from the public, mostly negative, requiring the committee to make changes.[7]

    Older versions of COBOL lack local variables and so cannot truly support structured programming.

    Others[who?] criticize the ad hoc incorporation of features on a language that was meant to be a short term solution to interoperability in 1959. Coupled with the perceived archaic syntax, they argue that it tries to fill a niche for which better tools have already been designed and developed.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    1,130
    2nd language i've learned. 1st was FORTRAN.

    Die C! Live long and Prosper Cobol!
    Meu sítio

    FORMAT C: Yes ...Yes??? ...Nooooo!!! ^C ^C ^C ^C ^C
    If I die before I sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to encrypt.
    If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to brake.

  4. #4
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    605
    Errr. SQL and C++? You just blurted out random applications that have abolutely nothing in common... in concept, purpose, and functionality.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by The-Spec View Post
    Errr. SQL and C++? You just blurted out random applications that have abolutely nothing in common... in concept, purpose, and functionality.
    You a funny dude. Do-if-then-else. Those are the foundations of any language.

Similar Threads

  1. Visual C++ vs. COBOL
    By bedsfred in forum AntiOnline's General Chit Chat
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: March 4th, 2003, 01:55 AM
  2. Taking Cobol and Visual Basic
    By JockVSJock in forum AntiOnline's General Chit Chat
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: February 22nd, 2003, 06:24 PM
  3. a question about C
    By holysea in forum Newbie Security Questions
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: March 22nd, 2002, 07:37 AM
  4. COBOL Tutorial
    By hot_ice in forum Other Tutorials Forum
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: February 20th, 2002, 05:44 AM
  5. Hey need help
    By freeOn in forum Security Archives
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: November 16th, 2001, 12:47 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •