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COBOL

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  • N Nemanja Trifunovic

    Not me, but I personally know five people who actively develop for IBM mainframes with languages such as COBOL, PL/I and Rexx. Three of them are at Verizon, one is a consultant and one works in a Swiss bank. I also know a guy wo was a RPG developer until recently and then decided to become a real estate agent :)

    utf8-cpp

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    Member 96
    wrote on last edited by
    #33

    Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:

    wo was a RPG developer until recently

    Holy blast from the past. I actually learned a little RPG many many years ago, never did find a use for it though, or COBOL.


    There is no failure only feedback

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    • N NormDroid

      Almost as bad as the vascetomy, but hey that's another story ;)

      Software Kinetics Wear a hard hat it's under construction
      Metro RSS

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      Jim Crafton
      wrote on last edited by
      #34

      Well if the vasectomy broke your heart, I'd strongly urge you to seek alternate medical services. I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work.

      ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

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      • C Chris Maunder

        Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

        cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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        Jeremy Hutchinson
        wrote on last edited by
        #35

        I just met a guy who is working for a company that wrote an application that ports COBOL code to Azure!!! Talk about working the full spectrum.

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        • C Chris Maunder

          Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

          cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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          Roger Wright
          wrote on last edited by
          #36

          Eeewww! I tried COBOL exactly once, in college. Ten lines (cards) of code, 106 lines of preamble, 157 error messages, and not one of the computer center experts could find a single error in my program. Never again... X|

          Will Rogers never met me.

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          • H Henry Minute

            My first programming gig was COBOL for a Sunny Canadian insurance company, Haven't touched it since though.

            Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

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            QuiJohn
            wrote on last edited by
            #37

            Henry Minute wrote:

            My first programming gig was COBOL for a Sunny Canadian insurance company,

            Very similar to your vaporators in most respects.

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            • C Chris Maunder

              Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

              cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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              Soulus83
              wrote on last edited by
              #38

              And just today a coworker that somehow shares department with us (she is administrative staff, administrative as in "secretary") got all excited because after 2 years of requesting career change, she is finally transferred to dev, guess in charge of what? you got it, ticket support for the old-as-dinosaurs system which is written in COBOL. Of course, she was all excited about it and came running to tell us...to be brought to earth by our straight faces telling her, COBOL has been dead since 20 years ago... Sadly enough, some of the guys of the corner, to whom no one talks to, grabbed her and say they are the COBOL experts in the company...as they still develop and maintain systems, and that they'd be her teachers... :wtf:

              "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--either way, you are right." — Henry Ford "When I waste my time, I only use the best, Code Project...don't leave home without it." — Slacker007

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              • R Roger Wright

                Eeewww! I tried COBOL exactly once, in college. Ten lines (cards) of code, 106 lines of preamble, 157 error messages, and not one of the computer center experts could find a single error in my program. Never again... X|

                Will Rogers never met me.

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                Steve Mayfield
                wrote on last edited by
                #39

                You either left out a period (one of my missing '.'s generated over 1000 error messages) or maybe a blank card between the source code and the link instructions (done that too - CDC 3150 mainframe) :rolleyes:

                Steve _________________ I C(++) therefore I am

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                • C Chris Maunder

                  Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                  cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                  Tim Deveaux
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #40

                  Received a listing last week for an opening at a large Canadian bank - they want essentially 6+ years exp in 'mainframe MVS, COBOL, JCL Utilities, and databases such as DB 2 and IMS'. For a 4 month contract. :| Not quite my skill set - will pass on to anyone who wants. and yeah I did a little COBOL in school - and actually liked it kinda - don't tell anybuddy ok?

                  This sig no verb.

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                  • C Chris Maunder

                    Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                    cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                    David Crow
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #41

                    Chris Maunder wrote:

                    So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                    My company has a few products that use a mixture of COBOL and RPG.

                    "One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson

                    "Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons

                    "Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren't enjoying today's sunshine." - William Feather

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                    • C Chris Maunder

                      Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                      cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                      Nueman
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #42

                      I have been told our mainframe costs will triple next year, if they have not already. We have a huge financial incentive to get old systems off the mainframe, and management is acting accordingly.

                      Life is too short to code in COBOL.

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                      • C Chris Maunder

                        Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                        cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                        was8309
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #43

                        oh yes, plenty of cobol and assembler, some still going strong 40 years after first program fetch.

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                        • S Steve Mayfield

                          You either left out a period (one of my missing '.'s generated over 1000 error messages) or maybe a blank card between the source code and the link instructions (done that too - CDC 3150 mainframe) :rolleyes:

                          Steve _________________ I C(++) therefore I am

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                          Roger Wright
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #44

                          Yup, it was a CDC, though I don't recall the exact model, as I wasn't a member of the priestly caste, and was never admitted to the holy sanctum. Circa 1975 - 1977 would be about right for that model, I think.

                          Will Rogers never met me.

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                          • C Chris Maunder

                            Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                            cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                            BoomRShine
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #45

                            I am still actively coding COBOL.

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                            • C Chris Maunder

                              Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                              cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                              Ger Hayden
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #46

                              No, I decided to go down the disclosure route - I made mention of my COBOL heritage in my profile. Sad reality is that if I ever get another commercial development gig it will be COBOL.

                              Ger

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                              • D Dalek Dave

                                I was an AS400 sys op. Back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth!

                                ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

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                                Lost User
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #47

                                Pah! I was developing software on the System 36 and 38 when the AS/400 was still project Silverlake!! Dinosaurs? Proto-bloody-zoa mate!

                                MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

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                                • J Jim Crafton

                                  Well if the vasectomy broke your heart, I'd strongly urge you to seek alternate medical services. I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work.

                                  ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

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                                  NormDroid
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #48

                                  Jim Crafton wrote:

                                  Well if the vasectomy broke your heart

                                  Hardly

                                  Jim Crafton wrote:

                                  I'd strongly urge you to seek alternate medical services.

                                  Too late, jobs done

                                  Jim Crafton wrote:

                                  I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work.

                                  Wasn't the most pleasent of everprience whilst being awake during the op.

                                  Software Kinetics Wear a hard hat it's under construction
                                  Metro RSS

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                                  • I Ian Shlasko

                                    Same here... I think our AS/400 accounting system is COBOL, but I reach it through HTTP/XML queries... But back in the 90s, I did spend part of a summer teaching an old COBOL programmer transition to VB...

                                    Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in?
                                    Author of the Guardians Saga (Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels)

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                                    Rob Grainger
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #49

                                    It could be worse, I had to port an RPG program to C once, now that was painful.

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                                    • G Ger Hayden

                                      No, I decided to go down the disclosure route - I made mention of my COBOL heritage in my profile. Sad reality is that if I ever get another commercial development gig it will be COBOL.

                                      Ger

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                                      gordymckinney
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #50

                                      I know a company that still uses COBOL. It was their language standard because the managers had written in it prior to becoming managers. The AS/400 still has a COBOL compiler and they still add new featrues to it. They also support RPG in several different flavors. I've developed many programs in COBOL and RPG. They are like any other language, write the instruction properly and it will produce the expected results. COBOL is very wordy compared to most languages today and that seems to be its biggest downfall.

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                                      • C Chris Maunder

                                        Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                                        cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                                        dschrenker
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #51

                                        I work at a company that has an IBM Mainframe for the main part of the business. I develop .NET applications that must interface with it and its done in 2 flavors, TCP/IP Sockets interfacing with COBOL and a middleware solution that interfaces with the COBOL to expose web services. Its arcane and extremely difficult to code for. Needless to say my error handling techniques are top notch! And we employ at least 40 COBOL programmers to maintain the mainframe. Good news is the system is converting out of the mainframe but it will take 2 years to do it.

                                        - D. Schrenker ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research." - Albert Einstein

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                                        • C Chris Maunder

                                          Chris Meech's post[^] piqued my interest because I've been talking to a few guys lately, on the quiet so as not to bust their cover, who do COBOL. So it got me wondering: who's doing COBOL directly, or at the least, interfacing with COBOL modules or back end systems?

                                          cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                                          agolddog
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #52

                                          I get pings from recruiters now and again because they see COBOL (from 1997 and earlier) on my resume. Despite the fact that I list technologies such as ASP.NET 4, Linq, Java, et cetera first on my resume, they somehow operate under the delusion that I'd be interested in going backwards 20 years in time. I did get an email yesterday from someone wanting experience with (among other things) EDL. For those that don't know, EDL was an assembler-like language which ran on IBM Series/1s. IBM discontinued those beasts in the early 90s-ish. Where I was working at that time did some kind of translation to C on RS/6000s becuase that was clearly more sensible than writing the system natively. Sigh. I was almost interested enough to write back to this recruiter and ask how her client is still running EDL 20 years after IBM discontinued support for the hardware on which it ran, but that passed. Actually, that wasn't a horrible way to start out development. Tiny little boxes, so it forced you to be conscious of resources. Debugging was getting a paper listing, which had the machine code printed to the left of the EDL code, setting breakpoints at memory addresses and interrogating data by address. Learned a lot more about what's "under the hood" than I suspect is common today. Even though there were some good experiences, I sure am glad to have moved on.

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