Why COBOL is still worth learning?

COBOL is still worth learning because it remains critical for maintaining legacy systems in industries like finance, government, and healthcare, where it's deeply rooted.

Is there any future in COBOL?

Yes, it has. COBOL is the programming language that refuses to retire for more than 6 Decades. As discussed above, 71% of Fortune 500 companies use Mainframe systems. Even if the migration started today, it might take decades to complete.

What is COBOL?

COBOL is an acronym for COmmon Business-Oriented Language, primarily developed for business, finance, and administrative system needs.

How was the COBOL programming language developed?

COBOL is a high-level programming language initially developed by the CODASYL Committee in the early 1960s.

• First COBOL Compiler - CODASYL developed in the early 1960s and assigned to the ANSI for improvements. The addressing mode feature of AMODE 16 (16-bit).
• ANSI COBOL 1968 - ANSI developed a standard form of the language in 1968 to overcome incompatibility between different versions and called it as ANS COBOL.
• COBOL 1974 (OS/VS COBOL) - ANSI published a revised version of (ANS) COBOL, which contains an additional set of features. The addressing mode feature of AMODE 24 (24-bit).
• VS COBOL II (1988) - ANSI published another revised version with new features like scope terminators, including END-IF, END-PERFORM, END-READ, etc. The new feature of AMODE 31 (31-bit).
• Enterprise COBOL 2002 and object-oriented COBOL - IBM, Fujitsu, and Micro Focus were involved in developing object-oriented syntax and introduced object-orientation features. It was approved by the ISO and published in late 2002.
• Enterprise COBOL v4.1 (2007) - COBOL 2002 suffered from poor support, and no compilers completely supported the object-oriented standard. So the most popular revised version was developed and released with the standard compiler's support in 2007.
• Enterprise COBOL v6.3 (2019) - It is developed with AMODE (64-bit), UTF-8, intoduces some new compiler options.
• Enterprise COBOL v6.4 (2022) - Enterprise COBOL 6.4 is the current version and developed with COBOL/Java interoperability, interoperability between AMODE 31 (31-bit) and AMODE 64 (64-bit)

What was removed from COBOL in the COBOL II implementation?

OS COBOL	VS COBOL
Runs in 24-bit addressing mode	31-bit addressing mode introduced. Runs either in 24-bit or 31-bit addressing modes
Supports Report Writer	Does not support Report Writer
USAGE IS POINTER is not supported	USAGE IS POINTER is supported
Reference modification is not supported	Reference modification is supported
EVALUATE is not supported	EVALUATE is supported
Scope terminators are not supported	Scope terminators are introduced
Follows ANSI 74 standards	ANSI 85 standards are followed
Calls between programs are not supported under CICS	Calls between programs are supported under CICS

What are the differences between Structured COBOL and Object-Oriented COBOL programming?

Structured COBOL	Object-Oriented COBOL
It follows procedural programming, breaking down programs into smaller, manageable procedures or modules	It utilizes OOP principles such as encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism
It typically employs a top-down design approach, where the main program calls subprograms or modules sequentially	Programs are designed around classes and objects, allowing for better organization and encapsulation of data and methods
The level of code reusability is limited	It promotes higher code reusability through the creation of reusable classes and inheritance, enhancing modularity and maintainability
Less secure as there is no data hiding feature involved	It follows an object-oriented approach, there is encapsulation and abstraction involved which helps in data hiding
More natural way of coding	Objects are first identified and functionalities of those are then written. Hence, it is more secure.

What is the difference between VS COBOL and enterprise COBOL?

VS COBOL	Enterprise COBOL
It supported the 68 COBOL Standard and the 74 COBOL Standard	It supports the 85 COBOL Standard
Undocumented OS/VS COBOL extensions supported	Undocumented OS/VS COBOL extensions not supported

What is the COBOL latest version that is currently running?

Enterprise COBOL v6.4

How can you implement multi-threading in COBOL programs?

Implementing multithreading in COBOL programs typically involves utilizing external libraries, interoperability with other languages like Java or C, or leveraging platform-specific extensions or middleware solutions for parallel processing.

Mention some popular competitors and alternatives to COBOL?

Popular competitors and alternatives to COBOL include languages like Java, C#, and Python, which offer modern features and extensive libraries for software development across various domains.

What is Micro focus COBOL used for?

Micro Focus COBOL is used for modernizing, maintaining, and developing COBOL-based applications. It provides tools and features for managing COBOL codebases, integrating them with modern systems, and ensuring their continued relevance and functionality in today's technology landscape.

Determine real-time, real mainframe COBOL used for?

Real-time, real mainframe COBOL is used for developing and maintaining critical business applications that require high performance, reliability, and scalability.

Outlines some pros and cons of COBOL programming?

Advantages -

• It is easy to read as it has English-like syntax.
• Relatively easy to develop, use, and maintain.
• Structured high-level and self-documenting programming language.
• Compatible with the previous versions.
• Free and Open-source.
• Process huge volumes of data with ease.

Disadvantages -

• Code might look very long because of its structured programming.
• It has a very wordy syntax.
• It requires more coding lines for specific logic compared with some other known programming languages in the market.

What are the different types of COBOL programs based on its usage?

COBOL programs are two types based on their usage -

• Batch
• Online

Frequently Asked Questions -

Why COBOL is still in demand?
Is COBOL an outdated programming language? Is it still used? Is it still worth learning COBOL programming language nowadays?
How can COBOL be used in business?

What do you know about COBOL?
Explain COBOL programming language?

What is the history of the COBOL programming language?

What are the differences between COBOL and COBOL II?
What are the differences between OS VS COBOL and VS COBOL II?

How can multithreading be added to COBOL programs?

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