17 Jun
2026
17 Jun
'26
11:01 a.m.
On Jun 17, 2026, at 1:21 PM, David Wade via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On 17/06/2026 15:56, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk wrote:
No, the domain for COBOL is an application domain. It can be run on any machine that has
a compiler for it. It's true that some machines (IBM/360, VAX) have instructions
specifically designed to do the decimal arithmetic that COBOL likes as single CISC
operations, but the lack of specific instructions like that has never been a compiler
limitation. No more than the lack of a hardware stack keeps you from writing recursive
applications, or prevents compilers from compiling such programs.
paul
On 6/17/2026 10:51 AM, Johan Helsingius via cctalk wrote:
Nothing, but we will disagree on defining its domain which I believe must include
hardware and software.
So if I am extending something written in COBOL on an IBM Mainframe or Mid-range then
yes, that Is the domain of COBOL.
For something thats going to run in the cloud with a web front end unlikely.
On 17/06/2026 4:49 pm, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk
wrote:
Other than the dearth of programmers, why not? What's wrong with the
language when the project is in its domain?
I came on the scene of a Honeywell to Univac-1100
migration 46 years
ago. Mostly COBOL a little Fortran and a tiny bit of other silly
stuff. Not only was there no thought of converting the COBOL to Ada
at the time but the last time I checked they are still running some
of the COBOL I wrote when I was there.
Sure, but would anyone starting a new software project choose
COBOL as the implementation language?