Re: Learn COBOL?

[John Renish <John -dot- Renish -at- CONNER -dot- COM>]

Auggh! I can't stand it any more. All that COBOL code will go away but it
will take a while. It is _not_ restricted to mainframes, being quite common
on minis and in some client-server applications. Yes, folks, there are UNIX
COBOL compilers. OTOH, CASE tools and a lot of new C and C++ programmers,
not to mention the heavy-duty database programmers, will hasten COBOL's
demise. But remember this scary fact: nearly every computer-generated check
you ever cashed had COBOL behind it.

BTW, COBOL's verbosity hides its essential nature, which is an
English-readable version of IBM 360/370/43xx, etc. assembly code. It is
actually quite elegant, but for certain mathematical operations such as
compound interest calculations, experienced COBOL programmers often write
assembly routines.

Skilled programmers will probably always find work, but people entering the
field should consider they will face increasing competition from offshore
programming houses and from some _very_ sharp contract programmers from
India, who usually have lower rates than domestic programmers.

Oh, yes. Learn C and C++. If you are in the PC business, Micro$oft's Visual
C++ and Visual (ugh) BASIC are making big inroads. Also look into APIs and
CASE tools, which will occupy more programmer time in the future. Finally,
don't forget niche languages like microcode and proprietary firmware
generators, which have small markets but few practitioners.

John -dot- Renish -at- conner -dot- com
(former COBOL and C programmer, now happily writing English instead)
My statements are my own and do not represent Conner Peripherals, Inc.
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