Most non-Cobol programmers, or even that have not been exposed to shops
that can use the language as it was intended, think Cobol is a
simplistic language.
I was lucky and spent several years in a shop that really knew how to
sling Cobol code. And, before you say it must have been unreadable, that
is not the case.
This shop was a banking software vendor that was supplied to the
customers in Cobol. This was back in the late 80's, so no internet to
look at code at night. The rule was that you had to be able to debug 2am
problems so code could not be too complex.
There was *heavy* use of common copybooks, such as date routines, etc.
Psedu-OO before OO.
This was my third job and I learned a lot.
Now, I write 99% in assembler, but many of the techniques I use are
based on what I learned about 'programming' at that shop.
But, it did make me aware of what good programmers were like. In almost
every shop I have been at, it would take 2 or 3 programmers to do what
just one programmer did at that vendor.
I have truly seen 'unicorn' Cobol programmers, so I know they do exist.
Tony Thigpen
Bob Bridges wrote on 2/5/23 19:30:
Well, obviously, because I'm not that way and I don't think anyone else should
be either, duh!
Seriously, I guess you have a point. If someone wants to do just one thing, it
has to be his choice. Sounds dull, though, and also less marketable, and less
valuable to our customers. But if I want to be self-serving about it, I guess
it makes the rest of us the more valuable.
---
Bob Bridges, [email protected], cell 336 382-7313
/* I don't want yes men around me. I want everyone to tell the truth, even if
it costs them their jobs. -Samuel Goldwyn */
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On Behalf Of
Tony Thigpen
Sent: Sunday, February 5, 2023 18:28
Ok, so exactly why is that a problem?
--- Bob Bridges wrote on 2/3/23 13:09:
It is a little distressing, though (at least to me), to observe how many
"programmers" never ~have~ seen anything but COBOL.
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