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My first job, after graduating, was for Control Data Corporation. I was called a Systems Analyst, but what I did was write a lot of Cobol code. Many years later
by herodotus 6y ago
My first job, after graduating, was for Control Data Corporation. I was called a Systems Analyst, but what I did was write a lot of Cobol code. Many years later, I wrote a paper about a novel data structure that could be used for what is called "The Balance Line Algorithm". I illustrated the use of this data structure with some Cobol. That was the last time I even thought about Cobol until I came across a citation to my paper. In excitement at being cited, I looked at the reference in the citing paper. Imagine my disappointment when I read the citation: "[X]showed that this can even be done in Cobol".
- driminicus 6y agoSounds like high praise to me
- bencollier49 6y agoIn actual fact the data structure format in COBOL is rather clever. I'd like to have access to that in Java when dealing with data formats like ASN1.
- GnarfGnarf 6y agoThe "MOVE CORRESPONDING" was kind of neat, don't see that in today's languages. Instead you have to tediously copy each individual field.
- int_19h 6y agoSCATTER/GATHER in dBase and derivatives was similar in spirit.