Detailed Description of COBOL
COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) is a high-level programming language designed specifically for business, finance, and administrative systems. It was developed in the late 1950s by a committee known as CODASYL (Conference on Data Systems Languages), which included representatives from various organizations. COBOL's primary focus is on data processing and is known for its readability and ease of understanding.
Age
COBOL was first released in 1959, making it over 60 years old.
License
COBOL itself does not have a specific license, as it is a language standard. However, implementations of COBOL, such as Micro Focus COBOL and GNU COBOL, are subject to their own licenses. GNU COBOL is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), while Micro Focus COBOL has a commercial license.
Technology
COBOL is a compiled language, meaning that COBOL code is translated into machine code by a compiler before execution. It is known for its verbose syntax, which closely mirrors English, making it accessible to business professionals and non-programmers. COBOL is particularly well-suited for handling large volumes of data and performing batch processing.
Example of Several Lines of Code
I IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HelloWorld.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-MESSAGE PIC X(20) VALUE 'Hello, World!'.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
DISPLAY WS-MESSAGE.
STOP RUN.
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. Factorial.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-NUMBER PIC 9(4) VALUE 5.
01 WS-RESULT PIC 9(10) VALUE 1.
01 WS-COUNTER PIC 9(4) VALUE 1.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
PERFORM VARYING WS-COUNTER FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL WS-COUNTER > WS-NUMBER
MULTIPLY WS-RESULT BY WS-COUNTER GIVING WS-RESULT
END-PERFORM.
DISPLAY 'Factorial of ' WS-NUMBER ' is ' WS-RESULT.
STOP RUN.
Advantages of COBOL
- Business Focus: COBOL was specifically designed for business data processing, making it highly effective for financial, administrative, and transactional systems.
- Readability: The verbose and English-like syntax of COBOL makes it easy to read and understand, even for non-programmers and business analysts.
- Data Handling: COBOL excels in handling large volumes of data and performing batch processing, making it suitable for mainframe applications.
- Legacy Systems: COBOL has been widely used in legacy systems, and many critical business applications still rely on COBOL, ensuring continued relevance in certain sectors.
- Standardization: COBOL has undergone standardization, and modern versions of the language include features that enhance its capabilities and maintainability.
Disadvantages of COBOL
- Verbosity: The verbose syntax of COBOL can lead to lengthy and cumbersome code, which may be less efficient to write and maintain compared to more concise languages.
- Declining Popularity: The popularity of COBOL has declined with the rise of modern programming languages, leading to a smaller community and fewer new resources.
- Limited Modern Features: COBOL lacks some of the modern programming features and conveniences found in newer languages, such as advanced object-oriented programming capabilities.
- Integration Challenges: Integrating COBOL with modern technologies and systems can be challenging, especially when interfacing with newer programming languages or web-based applications.
- Skill Shortage: There is a shortage of skilled COBOL programmers, making it difficult to find qualified personnel for maintaining and updating legacy COBOL systems.
COBOL remains an important language in certain sectors, particularly in legacy systems and large-scale business applications. Its design for business processing and readability make it valuable for specific use cases, though its limitations and declining popularity may affect its adoption for new projects.