Rich kids are into COBOL

[ben]

On 2/17/2015 11:55 PM, Chuck Guzis wrote:
> On 02/17/2015 09:27 PM, Mouse wrote:
>
>> That is no surprise to me.  If you were to take code written in C and
>> translate it into COBOL, I'd generally expect the COBOL code to be
>> longer and harder to maintain, too.
>
> COBOL implements a PICTURE specification, and, with the exception of
> PL/I, which copied it, was a stroke of genius.  A PICTURE clause
> specifies not only the display format, but also the type, scaling and
> usage.
>
> You may think that the CORRESPONDING modifier is a singularly bad idea,
> but it has its uses.
>
> How many languages before COBOL had a regular syntax for defining data
> structures?
>

I can not think of many languages before COBOL.

> COBOL is a powerful language with many different statement variations
> and, like other languages, is absolute hell in the hands of a neophyte.

I leave HELL for APL.

> --Chuck

Ben.