COBOL

COBOL. It is a compiled, high-level programming language designed primarily for business, finance, and administrative systems. Developed in the late 1950s by a committee sponsored by the United States Department of Defense, it was one of the first languages standardized by the American National Standards Institute. Its English-like syntax was intended to be readable by non-programmers and it became dominant on mainframe computers from companies like IBM, Unisys, and Honeywell.

History

The development was initiated by the United States Department of Defense in 1959, concerned about the rising costs of software portability. A committee called CODASYL was formed, including representatives from major computer manufacturers like IBM, RCA, and Sperry Corporation, as well as government users. Key figures in its design included naval officer Grace Hopper, often called the "mother of COBOL," and computer scientist Jean E. Sammet. The first official specification was published in 1960, and rapid adoption was spurred by its endorsement by the Department of Defense, which mandated its use for many applications. The language evolved through major revisions standardized by ANSI in 1968, 1974, and 1985, with the International Organization for Standardization later taking over stewardship.

Design and syntax

It was explicitly designed for business data processing, emphasizing fixed-point arithmetic for precise financial calculations over the floating-point math common in scientific languages like FORTRAN. Its syntax is verbose and English-like, using statements such as `ADD`, `MOVE`, and `PERFORM`. A program is divided into distinct divisions: the `IDENTIFICATION DIVISION`, the `ENVIRONMENT DIVISION` for hardware specifics, the `DATA DIVISION` for defining variables and file layouts, and the `PROCEDURE DIVISION` containing the executable logic. This structure promoted a clear separation between the program's logic and the machine environment, aiding portability across different systems from vendors like Burroughs Corporation and Digital Equipment Corporation.

Standards and implementations

Formal standardization began with the first American National Standards Institute standard in 1968, known as COBOL-68. This was followed by COBOL-74 and the major COBOL-85 standard, which added structured programming constructs. Later standards included COBOL 2002 and COBOL 2014, incorporating object-oriented capabilities. Major compiler implementations have been produced by IBM for its OS/360 and subsequent z/OS platforms, by Micro Focus International, and by Fujitsu. The language's specification is maintained by the ISO working group ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 22. The United States Department of Defense played a crucial early role in validating compilers for conformance.

Usage and legacy

It became the backbone of corporate computing, powering critical transaction systems in industries like banking, insurance, and government. An estimated 220 billion lines of code remain in production, running on mainframes from IBM and Unisys. These systems process daily transactions for major institutions like the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and numerous Fortune 500 companies. The Year 2000 problem highlighted its pervasive legacy, as programmers worldwide scrambled to update date fields. Despite predictions of its demise, its continued use is ensured by the immense cost and risk of replacing these stable, core systems, a phenomenon often discussed at events like the Gartner IT Symposium.

Criticism and modern relevance

Critics, such as computer scientist Edsger W. Dijkstra, famously derided its verbose syntax and alleged lack of elegance. The language was often seen as monolithic and outdated compared to modern languages like Java or Python. However, its modern relevance is undeniable due to the ongoing maintenance of legacy systems. The retirement of experienced programmers has created a skills shortage, leading to initiatives like the IBM Academic Initiative to train new developers. Modern implementations from Micro Focus International and Raincode allow legacy code to be integrated with newer technologies like .NET Framework and cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services. Events like the COVID-19 pandemic and associated unemployment claims processing surges further demonstrated the critical role these stable systems continue to play in global infrastructure.

Category:Programming languages Category:Procedural programming languages Category:1959 software