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  3. 100th Anniversary of the birth of COBOL's creator

100th Anniversary of the birth of COBOL's creator

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  • C Offline
    C Offline
    Colin Angus Mackay
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    The 100th anniversary of the birth of programming language pioneer Grace Hopper was celebrated on 9 December. Widely credited as being the "mother" of the Cobol computer language her work was hugely influential.[^]


    Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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    • C Colin Angus Mackay

      The 100th anniversary of the birth of programming language pioneer Grace Hopper was celebrated on 9 December. Widely credited as being the "mother" of the Cobol computer language her work was hugely influential.[^]


      Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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      Maximilien
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      it was invented by a woman ? that must be why it's so verbose, it never want to end talking and writing and talking writing, just annoying as hell.


      Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad

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      • M Maximilien

        it was invented by a woman ? that must be why it's so verbose, it never want to end talking and writing and talking writing, just annoying as hell.


        Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad

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        Pete OHanlon
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Worse still - she headed the committee that designed it.

        the last thing I want to see is some pasty-faced geek with skin so pale that it's almost translucent trying to bump parts with a partner - John Simmons / outlaw programmer
        Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.

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        • C Colin Angus Mackay

          The 100th anniversary of the birth of programming language pioneer Grace Hopper was celebrated on 9 December. Widely credited as being the "mother" of the Cobol computer language her work was hugely influential.[^]


          Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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          Dr No
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          A look below the surface of the computer world uncovers some very old technology - such as the Cobol programming language. The COmmon Business Oriented Language was created in 1959 and, though it is no longer taught in schools and universities, Wow, I was born in 1959. My company still uses cobol for a lot of things, despite it has been declared dead many times.

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          • D Dr No

            A look below the surface of the computer world uncovers some very old technology - such as the Cobol programming language. The COmmon Business Oriented Language was created in 1959 and, though it is no longer taught in schools and universities, Wow, I was born in 1959. My company still uses cobol for a lot of things, despite it has been declared dead many times.

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            NormDroid
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Used it once at college, we had to write a simple inventory program and report, wow I remember it being so verbose. Oh well in the real world when I left college I had start with MSDIL Pick O/S a refreshing change from Cobol I must say.

            We made the buttons on the screen look so good you'll want to lick them. Steve Jobs

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            • C Colin Angus Mackay

              The 100th anniversary of the birth of programming language pioneer Grace Hopper was celebrated on 9 December. Widely credited as being the "mother" of the Cobol computer language her work was hugely influential.[^]


              Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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              gujingshui
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              great woman ,wonderful ;)work

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              • M Maximilien

                it was invented by a woman ? that must be why it's so verbose, it never want to end talking and writing and talking writing, just annoying as hell.


                Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad

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                K Offline
                Kevin McFarlane
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Didn't think it would take long for a comment such as that!

                Kevin

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                • M Maximilien

                  it was invented by a woman ? that must be why it's so verbose, it never want to end talking and writing and talking writing, just annoying as hell.


                  Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad

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                  Lost User
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  Look in the mirror ;P

                  The tigress is here :-D

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                  • M Maximilien

                    it was invented by a woman ? that must be why it's so verbose, it never want to end talking and writing and talking writing, just annoying as hell.


                    Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad

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                    El Corazon
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Maximilien wrote:

                    it was invented by a woman ? that must be why it's so verbose

                    It was invented to be English like, she assumed men were incapable of learning something new. ;P just ask the grand nag us. since your comment (and similar) have been around since the dawn of time, I gather she was correct. :rolleyes:

                    _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                    • C Colin Angus Mackay

                      The 100th anniversary of the birth of programming language pioneer Grace Hopper was celebrated on 9 December. Widely credited as being the "mother" of the Cobol computer language her work was hugely influential.[^]


                      Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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                      Tim Smith
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      I was lucky enough to see her talk, twice.

                      Tim Smith I'm going to patent thought. I have yet to see any prior art.

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                      • T Tim Smith

                        I was lucky enough to see her talk, twice.

                        Tim Smith I'm going to patent thought. I have yet to see any prior art.

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                        edeloye
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        I was fortunate to have been able to attend one of her talks where she always handed out nanoseconds, a piece of wire that was the length that light would travel in on microsecond. Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was a leader in the development of the early compilers that were the forerunners of today's sophisticated languages By modern standards COBOL is horrible but when it was developed you had a choice of COBOL, some sort of assembler or machine language. We have a lot to thank her for. An ex-mainframer. -- modified at 15:37 Monday 11th December, 2006

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                        • C Colin Angus Mackay

                          The 100th anniversary of the birth of programming language pioneer Grace Hopper was celebrated on 9 December. Widely credited as being the "mother" of the Cobol computer language her work was hugely influential.[^]


                          Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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                          mobilemobile
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Most of you seem to have no idea. COBOL was one of the first structured languages. It's "verbose" code was meant to be self-documenting. Back in the day when Fortran variable names maxed out at 6 chars, it was a relief to have real names for variables. Also, I'll have to say, I'm a bit shocked at some of the misogynist comments here. Steve

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                          • E El Corazon

                            Maximilien wrote:

                            it was invented by a woman ? that must be why it's so verbose

                            It was invented to be English like, she assumed men were incapable of learning something new. ;P just ask the grand nag us. since your comment (and similar) have been around since the dawn of time, I gather she was correct. :rolleyes:

                            _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)

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                            JimmyRopes
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            Jeffry J. Brickley wrote:

                            just ask the grand nag us.

                            :laugh::laugh::laugh:

                            I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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                            • T Tim Smith

                              I was lucky enough to see her talk, twice.

                              Tim Smith I'm going to patent thought. I have yet to see any prior art.

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                              J Offline
                              JimmyRopes
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Tim Smith wrote:

                              I was lucky enough to see her talk, twice.

                              I saw her speak once and also feel fortunate for having the opportunity. She was a visionary. :cool:

                              I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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                              • M mobilemobile

                                Most of you seem to have no idea. COBOL was one of the first structured languages. It's "verbose" code was meant to be self-documenting. Back in the day when Fortran variable names maxed out at 6 chars, it was a relief to have real names for variables. Also, I'll have to say, I'm a bit shocked at some of the misogynist comments here. Steve

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                                Jim from Indy
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                For those of you making the jokes about her being a woman, imagine the difficulty she faced as a project manager and Captain in the Navy in a time when women were treated like that to their faces in all seriousness. And yet, despite all that, she invented a language that was structured, trainable, and used happily by programmers such as myself for decades to follow. My hat's off to her, may she rest in peace. Jim

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                                • M mobilemobile

                                  Most of you seem to have no idea. COBOL was one of the first structured languages. It's "verbose" code was meant to be self-documenting. Back in the day when Fortran variable names maxed out at 6 chars, it was a relief to have real names for variables. Also, I'll have to say, I'm a bit shocked at some of the misogynist comments here. Steve

                                  J Offline
                                  J Offline
                                  JimmyRopes
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  mobilemobile wrote:

                                  Back in the day when Fortran variable names maxed out at 6 chars, it was a relief to have real names for variables

                                  I agree. There is no rule that you had to over do it. Although I never programmed in COBOL professionally (only once in university) I have been involved in technical support for a number of "COBOL Shops" over the years. The code ran the spectrum from spaghetti to highly structured. I have even seen bit manipulation implemented in COBOL, albeit with much difficulty. It all depended on the developer. Some were professional and some wanted to write a paperback novel.

                                  I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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                                  • C Colin Angus Mackay

                                    The 100th anniversary of the birth of programming language pioneer Grace Hopper was celebrated on 9 December. Widely credited as being the "mother" of the Cobol computer language her work was hugely influential.[^]


                                    Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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                                    M Offline
                                    Member 96
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Programmers have got to be one of the few professions in the world that for the most part don't feel any need to honour those that broke ground and innovated in their day but instead mock their work as being antiquated or somehow silly. The tools we have now didn't just fall out of a tree.

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                                    • M Member 96

                                      Programmers have got to be one of the few professions in the world that for the most part don't feel any need to honour those that broke ground and innovated in their day but instead mock their work as being antiquated or somehow silly. The tools we have now didn't just fall out of a tree.

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                                      Colin Angus Mackay
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      John Cardinal wrote:

                                      The tools we have now didn't just fall out of a tree

                                      Absolutely!


                                      Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos

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                                      • M Member 96

                                        Programmers have got to be one of the few professions in the world that for the most part don't feel any need to honour those that broke ground and innovated in their day but instead mock their work as being antiquated or somehow silly. The tools we have now didn't just fall out of a tree.

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                                        Dan Neely
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        John Cardinal wrote:

                                        Programmers have got to be one of the few professions in the world that for the most part don't feel any need to honour those that broke ground and innovated in their day but instead mock their work as being antiquated or somehow silly. The tools we have now didn't just fall out of a tree.

                                        Agreed. I've never done anything with cobol, but have done an asm class in college, and ran into fortan twice in an astronomy class. Neither are anything I'd voluntarily work in today, but unpleasant as Fortran is compared to modern languages it's still massive step forward from raw assembler. If I needed to, I could probably pick it up basic proficiency in it as quickly as something like Ruby, Python, or Lisp. RandomProccessorAssembly would take far longer to learn well enough to do anything useful in, and still take far longer to do any useful task than a normal compiled language.

                                        -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

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                                        • E edeloye

                                          I was fortunate to have been able to attend one of her talks where she always handed out nanoseconds, a piece of wire that was the length that light would travel in on microsecond. Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was a leader in the development of the early compilers that were the forerunners of today's sophisticated languages By modern standards COBOL is horrible but when it was developed you had a choice of COBOL, some sort of assembler or machine language. We have a lot to thank her for. An ex-mainframer. -- modified at 15:37 Monday 11th December, 2006

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                                          N Offline
                                          NetDave
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          edeloye wrote:

                                          a piece of wire that was the length that light would travel in on microsecond

                                          Hmm, the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters/second. That would make the piece of wire around 300 meters long? :confused:

                                          QRZ? de WAƘTTN

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