COBOL - Revision history

Jnc: /* External links */ +Exactly what is COBOL and why is COBOL still a widely used language in IT?

2024-01-14T16:34:23Z

External links: +Exactly what is COBOL and why is COBOL still a widely used language in IT?

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:34, 14 January 2024
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	==External links===		==External links==

	* http://code.xmlgadgets.com/2012/03/28/cobol-hello-world-program/		* [https://freedomafterthesharks.com/2016/06/27/exactly-what-is-cobol-and-why-is-cobol-still-a-widely-used-language-in-it/ Exactly what is COBOL and why is COBOL still a widely used language in IT?]
	* http://groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis400/cobol/hworld.html		<!-- * http://code.xmlgadgets.com/2012/03/28/cobol-hello-world-program/ offline -->
			<!-- * http://groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis400/cobol/hworld.html offline -->

	[[Category: Languages]]		[[Category: Languages]]

Jnc: Minor tweaks

2024-01-12T14:54:15Z

Minor tweaks

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:54, 12 January 2024
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	'''COBOL''' (the acronym name stands for 'Common Business Oriented Language) is a [[programming language]] invented principally for use, as the name says, to build [[application]]s in business and administrative areas. It was created to improve [[portable\|portability]] of such application from one vendor's machines to another, as it was at that time beginning to be recognized that [[software]] required a very large investment (even if it was not yet plain how ''long'' the lifetime of much software would be) - an observation that was not yet acute in an age when the cost of computing [[hardware]] was enormous.		'''COBOL''' (the acronym name stands for 'Common Business Oriented Language) is a [[programming language]] invented principally for use, as the name says, to build [[application]]s in business and administrative areas. It was created to improve [[portable\|portability]] of such application from one vendor's machines to another, as it was at that time beginning to be recognized that [[software]] required a very large investment (even if it was not yet plain how ''long'' the lifetime of much software would be) - an observation that was not yet acute, in an age when the cost of computing [[hardware]] was enormous.

	It is one of three programming language invented in the 1950s still in wide use today (albeit all much-modified from their original forms), along with [[FORTRAN]] and [[LISP]] - although in the cases of COBOL and FORTRAN, not a great deal of ''new'' applications are being written in them. COBOL is primarily found ~~on the~~ [[mainframe]] environments, and is used in business [[batch processing]].		It is one of three programming language invented in the 1950s still in wide use today (albeit all much-modified from their original forms), along with [[FORTRAN]] and [[LISP]] - although in the cases of COBOL and FORTRAN, not a great deal of ''new'' applications are being written in them. COBOL is primarily found in [[mainframe]] environments, and is used in business [[batch processing]].

	It uses English-sounding [[syntax]] (which was supposedly easier for 'average' people), rather than the ~~mathematical~~-based syntax of FORTRAN. The intent was also that COBOL [[program]]s would be easy to read~~, and self-documenting~~. As a result, though, COBOL programs are verbose.		It uses English-sounding [[syntax]] (which was supposedly easier for 'average' people), rather than the mathematics-based syntax of FORTRAN. The intent was also that COBOL [[program]]s would be self-documenting, and easy to read. As a result, though, COBOL programs are verbose.

	A COBOL program contains four main 'divisions':		A COBOL program contains four main 'divisions':
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	* procedure		* procedure

	each of which may contain a fixed hierarchy of 'sections', 'paragraphs' and 'sentences'. As is perhaps understandable, given its intended problem domain, it is mostly focused on [[input/output]], and supports few [[type]]s. It has poor support for large-scale structuring, so large COBOL programs, although easy to read at a statement level, may be hard to understand at a high level.		each of which may contain a fixed hierarchy of 'sections', 'paragraphs' and 'sentences'. As is perhaps understandable, given its intended problem domain, the [[semantics]] of the language is mostly focused on [[input/output]], and supports few [[type]]s. It has poor support for large-scale structuring, so large COBOL programs, although easy to read at a statement level, may be hard to understand at a high level.

	==Examples==		==Examples==

Jnc: Make a bit less stubby

2024-01-11T12:25:58Z

Make a bit less stubby

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	'''C'''~~ommon~~ '''B'''~~usiness '''O'''riented '''L'''anguage~~		'''COBOL''' (the acronym name stands for 'Common Business Oriented Language) is a [[programming language]] invented principally for use, as the name says, to build [[application]]s in business and administrative areas. It was created to improve [[portable\|portability]] of such application from one vendor's machines to another, as it was at that time beginning to be recognized that [[software]] required a very large investment (even if it was not yet plain how ''long'' the lifetime of much software would be) - an observation that was not yet acute in an age when the cost of computing [[hardware]] was enormous.

	COBOL is primarily found on the mainframe environments, and ~~related~~ to ~~business~~ '~~batch~~' ~~processing~~.		It is one of three programming language invented in the 1950s still in wide use today (albeit all much-modified from their original forms), along with [[FORTRAN]] and [[LISP]] - although in the cases of COBOL and FORTRAN, not a great deal of ''new'' applications are being written in them. COBOL is primarily found on the [[mainframe]] environments, and is used in business [[batch processing]].

			It uses English-sounding [[syntax]] (which was supposedly easier for 'average' people), rather than the mathematical-based syntax of FORTRAN. The intent was also that COBOL [[program]]s would be easy to read, and self-documenting. As a result, though, COBOL programs are verbose.

			A COBOL program contains four main 'divisions':

			* identification
			* environment
			* data
			* procedure

			each of which may contain a fixed hierarchy of 'sections', 'paragraphs' and 'sentences'. As is perhaps understandable, given its intended problem domain, it is mostly focused on [[input/output]], and supports few [[type]]s. It has poor support for large-scale structuring, so large COBOL programs, although easy to read at a statement level, may be hard to understand at a high level.

			==Examples==

	~~===Example===~~
	Here's [[Hello World]] in COBOL.		Here's [[Hello World]] in COBOL.

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	EXIT.		EXIT.

	==~~=References~~===		{{semi-stub}}

			==External links===

	* http://code.xmlgadgets.com/2012/03/28/cobol-hello-world-program/		* http://code.xmlgadgets.com/2012/03/28/cobol-hello-world-program/
	* http://groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis400/cobol/hworld.html		* http://groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis400/cobol/hworld.html

	~~{{stub}}~~		[[Category: Languages]]
	[[Category:Languages]]

Tor: Show what the acronym means

2013-03-18T09:55:26Z

Show what the acronym means

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:55, 18 March 2013
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			'''C'''ommon '''B'''usiness '''O'''riented '''L'''anguage

	COBOL is primarily found on the mainframe environments, and related to business 'batch' processing.		COBOL is primarily found on the mainframe environments, and related to business 'batch' processing.

Tor: Add 'Hello World!' examples

2013-03-18T09:51:23Z

Add 'Hello World!' examples

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 COBOL is primarily found on the mainframe environments, and related to business 'batch' processing.
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2009-10-26T01:53:49Z

New page: COBOL is primarily found on the mainframe environments, and related to business 'batch' processing. {{stub}} Category:Languages

New page

COBOL is primarily found on the mainframe environments, and related to business 'batch' processing.

{{stub}}
[[Category:Languages]]