The Language of COBOL

Abby Jamgochian

Brittani Hans

Purpose of Development

Federal Gov. needed program source language for business personnel

All current programs at the time math nature

Currently facing expense reprogramming chargers

Each computer needed new install program

THE BIRTH

Grace Murray Hopper designer

April 1960

Presented by COnference on DAta Systems Language (CODASYL)

Members computer professionals including:

US Gov.

Manufacturers of computer equipment

Universities

Active users

Developing

Original Proposal

Machine independent

Ability to constantly change

Similar format of English statements

Free of math and scientific symbols

Businessman Friendly

No experience necessary

Growing…Growing…GROWING

Through the years

Three different versions of COBOL

ANSI 1968 COBOL

The standards developed

ANSI 1974 COBOL

Updated ANSI standards

Ability to use ‘68 or ’74

ANSI 1985 COBOL

Expected many companies

‘the future’

COBOL is the “IN” Crowd

Why so Popular?

Meets the needs of users

Language translator supported by user

Meant to decrease future cost

Included in more software packages than any other

MACHINE-INDEPENDENT

Not plagued by computer obsolescence (Always being revised to meet new computer needs)

English readability and looking business like

ADVANTAGES

Communication advancement

Pretested input/output modules included

Language familiar if so fact oh less killer robot murders

Easily converted one machine to another

Can be broken down into other smaller group jobs

Its logical

Debugging time decreased b/c list is generated of errors (NOT LOGIC ERRORS)

……Disadvantages

Permanent solutions without reprogramming

Assuming COBOL is the only language needed…no other computer knowledge

Need a large storage memory

Will not generate as sophisticated then assembly language

Wordy

Program Organization Identification

tells program to computer

info needed to identify written and compiled sources

Name program, author, what program does ect.

Environment

describes use & hardware needed

Machine-independent

Particular computer used and associated input/output

Program Organization

Data

define chars, files, layouts & storage location

Formats chars for input/output to process

Procedure

Solve a given problem

Actions expected to process data

ABSTRACTION!!!!!

Data Types:Numeric

Alphanumeric aka. Strings/text

Alphabetic aka…A,B,C,D

Data Types Declared:Level number

Data-name/identifier

Picture clause

Controlling ABSTRACTION!!!!!

< > < = >= = NOT=

And

Not

Or

Else clause, nest selection, while statement, for statement

The Yellow Subbbbb….Programs

Linked Program

Executable object module

Dynamically loaded

Intermediate code files

Generate Code File

Callable share Object

Coding.000100 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.000200 PROGRAM-ID. HELLOWORLD.000300000400*000500 ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.000600 CONFIGURATION SECTION.000700 SOURCE-COMPUTER. RM-COBOL.000800 OBJECT-COMPUTER. RM-COBOL.000900001000 DATA DIVISION.001100 FILE SECTION.001200100000 PROCEDURE DIVISION.100100100200 MAIN-LOGIC SECTION.100300 BEGIN.100400 DISPLAY " " LINE 1 POSITION 1 ERASE EOS.100500 DISPLAY "Hello world!" LINE 15 POSITION 10.100600 STOP RUN.100700 MAIN-LOGIC-EXIT.100800 EXIT.

Display output…

Hello World

Sources

http://www.csee.umbc.edu/courses/graduate/631/Fall2002/COBOL.pdf

www.pgrocer.net/Cis12/cobollan.html cobolforgcc.sourceforge.net/cobol_2.html

groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis400/cobol/cobol.html

inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/Grace_Hopper.html

www.math-cs.gordon.edu/course/cs323/COBOL/cobol.html

datamuseum.dk/site_dk/rc/pbh/siemenscobol.pdf

www.csee.umbc.edu/courses/graduate/631/Fall2002/COBOL.pdf

homepages.paradise.net.nz/milhous/cobol.htm