IBM will offer free COBOL training

Post by ptx » Sat, Apr 11, 2020, 11:54 AM UTC

msla wrote: post #23

number6 wrote: post #14

I don't want to sound condescending but why can't these systems be rewritten in a modern language? Now is obviously not the right time to do this; I am wondering are there technical limitations to do his?

Here's some simple COBOL code: http://www.csis.ul.ie/cobol/examples/Conditn/Conditions.htm identification division. program-id. letters. data division. working-storage section. 01 Char PIC X. 88 Vowel VALUE "a", "e", "i", "o", "u". 88 Consonant VALUE "b", "c", "d", "f", "g", "h" "j" THRU "n", "p" THRU "t", "v" THRU "z". 88 Digit VALUE "0" THRU "9". 88 ValidCharacter VALUE "a" THRU "z", "0" THRU "9". procedure divisio…

  sub letters
      dim char as string
      do
          char = inputbox("Enter lower-case character or digit. No data ends.")
          select case char
              case "a", "e", "i", "o", "u"
                  msgbox "The letter " & char & " is a vowel."
              case "b", "c", "d", "f", "g", "h", _
                   "j" to "n", "p" to "t", "v" to "z"
                   msgbox "The letter " & char & " is a consonant."
              case "0" to "9"
                  msgbox char & " is a digit."
              case else
                  exit do
          end select
      loop
  end sub

Post by zxcvbn4038 » Sat, Apr 11, 2020, 12:01 PM UTC

watt wrote: post #21

It's a trap. The problem with those old codebases that governments, hospitals, big businesses are struggling with is not really the language, it's the engineering practices of that time with regards to constraints of old technology. The language is not the problem - lack of comments, bad variable naming, bad structure (little or no procedures or readability), and just sheer volume of it, is. It would be very interest…

Post by Cyberdog » Sat, Apr 11, 2020, 12:06 PM UTC

wyclif wrote: post #54

JustARandomGuy wrote: post #33

From the article: * State unemployment agencies are notoriously underfunded* And there’s the problem summarized in less than a single sentence. Yes, they need help, but it’s the same kind of “help” as in “I want a BMW but I only have a dollar, please help” There would be a ton more COBOL coders if companies paid the equivalent of FANG companies - I say this as a former COBOL coder myself

These New Jersey and elsewhere new COBOL jobs are all volunteer, they are not paid jobs?

Post by prashnts » Sat, Apr 11, 2020, 12:09 PM UTC

msla wrote: post #23

number6 wrote: post #14

I don't want to sound condescending but why can't these systems be rewritten in a modern language? Now is obviously not the right time to do this; I am wondering are there technical limitations to do his?

Here's some simple COBOL code: http://www.csis.ul.ie/cobol/examples/Conditn/Conditions.htm identification division. program-id. letters. data division. working-storage section. 01 Char PIC X. 88 Vowel VALUE "a", "e", "i", "o", "u". 88 Consonant VALUE "b", "c", "d", "f", "g", "h" "j" THRU "n", "p" THRU "t", "v" THRU "z". 88 Digit VALUE "0" THRU "9". 88 ValidCharacter VALUE "a" THRU "z", "0" THRU "9". procedure divisio…

Post by zhte415 » Sat, Apr 11, 2020, 12:13 PM UTC

throwaway_pdp09 wrote: post #48

brnt wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just finished a contract with a hospital that built a lot of stuff in house in the 80ies based on a C (still pre C89 in many places) and Delphi/Pascal. The problem is indeed volume (over 10MLoC), two or three wizards supporting it all, but firmly coding like it's '83. No training of newcomers whatsoever, and thus really no way to contribute. If you manage to get some support, it will be once a year and in the form of…

Is it possibly not a management problem at the core? I mean, I know exactly what you mean about suits like to ignore the future, but I've worked with a few 'wizards' who, once they've got the job under their belt, use it to keep other people out. They'll not comment, help, document or whatever, and once they're doing that, they are uncontrollable. They can't be sacked because they're the only ones keeping the system…