Learn COBOL with Free Lessons & Tips

COBOL, despite its age, remains surprisingly prevalent in modern computing landscapes. It continues to be widely used in various industries where legacy systems persist, particularly in finance, banking, government, and insurance sectors. Many critical infrastructure systems, such as those handling transactions, payroll processing, and large-scale data processing, rely on COBOL due to its stability and reliability. Additionally, COBOL's strong compatibility with mainframe computers ensures its continued use in large enterprises where these systems are prevalent. Moreover, efforts to modernize legacy COBOL systems rather than replace them entirely have sustained its relevance. While newer programming languages have emerged, the extensive investment in COBOL-based systems, coupled with a shortage of skilled COBOL programmers, contributes to its enduring presence in contemporary technology ecosystems. Thus, COBOL maintains its significance as a cornerstone in the software landscape, bridging the gap between past and present computing paradigms.

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One of the best books for learning COBOL is "Murach's Mainframe COBOL" by Mike Murach and Anne Prince. It offers a comprehensive approach to understanding COBOL programming, starting from basic concepts and progressing to advanced topics, all with clear explanations and practical examples. Another excellent choice is "COBOL for the 21st Century" by Nancy Stern, Robert A. Stern, and James P. Ley. This book provides a modern perspective on COBOL programming, covering important features like structured programming, modularization, and file processing. "Teach Yourself COBOL in 21 Days" by Mo Budlong is also a popular option for beginners, offering a step-by-step guide to learning COBOL programming in a relatively short timeframe. Each of these books caters to different learning styles and preferences, providing valuable resources for mastering COBOL programming.

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COBOL stands for "COmmon Business-Oriented Language." COBOL was first introduced in 1959, and it is known for its readability and self-documenting code, making it suitable for applications that involve extensive input and output, such as data processing and business applications.It is a high-level programming language primarily designed for business, finance, and administrative systems.

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COBOL, which stands for Common Business Oriented Language, has several advantages, including: 1. Easy to learn: COBOL has simple syntax, and its English-like commands make it easy to learn even for those without a strong programming background. 2. Portability: COBOL programs can run on any platform, including mainframes, minicomputers, and personal computers. 3. Readability: The language is self-documenting, which means that the code is easy to read and understand. 4. Stability: COBOL has been around for over 50 years and is a proven, stable language that has been widely used in the financial industry. 5. Scalability: COBOL programs can handle large amounts of data and are easy to maintain, which makes them ideal for large-scale enterprise applications. 6. Compatibility: Many legacy systems still use COBOL, and the language has been updated to ensure that it can integrate with newer technologies and systems. These are just a few of the advantages of COBOL, and there are many more that make it a valuable language for businesses and organizations. read less

Comprehensive COBOL Training and JCOBOL Online Coaching on UrbanPro

Introduction: As a seasoned tutor registered on UrbanPro.com, I specialize in providing top-notch COBOL training, including JCOBOL, through online coaching. In response to your query, I'll guide you on how to merge two files in COBOL, a fundamental skill in data processing.

Merging Files in COBOL: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Understand the Requirement: Before diving into the coding process, clearly define the merging requirements. Identify the key fields that will be used for merging, and understand the structure of both input files.

2. Sort Input Files: Merging in COBOL often requires sorted input files. Utilize COBOL-compatible sorting utilities or pre-sort the files using tools like SORT in JCL (Job Control Language) to ensure a seamless merge process.

3. Declare File Structures: In your COBOL program, declare the file structures for both input files using the FILE SECTION. Define the record layouts, including key fields that will be used for merging.

4. Open Files: Use the OPEN statement to open the input and output files. Ensure that the file status is checked after each OPEN statement for any errors.

5. Read and Merge: Implement a loop to read records from both input files sequentially. Compare the key fields, and based on the comparison, write the merged record to the output file.

6. Close Files: After completing the merge process, close all the files using the CLOSE statement.

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In COBOL, the REDEFINES clause allows you to define different data items that share the same memory space. It's used to create alternate views or interpretations of the same storage area, allowing multiple data items to refer to the same memory location.

When a REDEFINES clause is used, it indicates that two or more data items occupy the same storage but interpret it differently based on their definitions. For instance, you might have a numeric field and a character field that both reference the same memory location, allowing you to access the data in different formats.

01 EMPLOYEE.
05 EMP-NAME PIC X(20).
05 EMP-SALARY PIC 9(6)V99.

01 EMPLOYEE-DETAILS REDEFINES EMPLOYEE.
05 EMPLOYEE-INFO PIC X(26).

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COBOL gained popularity primarily due to historical factors rather than its inherent qualities. When it was developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it was one of the few high-level programming languages available. Its design focused on readability, allowing business professionals to understand and write code.

During the 1960s and 1970s, COBOL became widely adopted in government, finance, and large corporations. It was instrumental in building critical systems for these industries, handling essential functions like banking transactions, payroll processing, and inventory management. Its verbosity and English-like syntax made it accessible for non-programmers, enabling collaboration between business analysts and programmers.

However, over time, the perception of COBOL shifted. Its verbosity, rigid structure, and limitations in handling modern programming paradigms led to criticisms. As newer, more flexible languages emerged, COBOL became associated with outdated systems, and its popularity declined among newer generations of programmers.

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