COBOL is the future

**darmstadt** · 22 February 2007, 09:12

Correct, I got sent 6 COBOL jobs today and thats not even bothering to look at my Jobserve mail which probably has about another 10.

**Euro-commuter** · 22 February 2007, 09:46

Originally posted by darmstadt

Correct, I got sent 6 COBOL jobs today and thats not even bothering to look at my Jobserve mail which probably has about another 10.

It was the 350/HOUR that I liked!

Seriously, what do you need to have with your COBOL to get contracts? I've got loads of experience but it's all old: with CICS, 370 JCL, VSAM etc. Oh yes, and BAL. Which I liked. But I don't know if there's a market for my knowledge in that area.

**Moose423956** · 22 February 2007, 09:51

Originally posted by Euro-commuter

Senior Mainframe Analyst Programmer
Location: Hampshire
Work for one of the largest financial services organisations in the UK! This is an exciting contract role with very meaty, challenging projects which are highly interesting in today's market. You will have a solid Cobol II CICS DB2 VSAM JCL IBM mainframe programming career and will now be working with design teams and the issues around integrating mainframe and newer technologies. Please note that this is a business facing role, therefore excellent communication skills and largescale financial s
Rate: £350 per hour Posted: 2007-02-21 12:55:07

Where was that job ad? I may be interested.

**Euro-commuter** · 22 February 2007, 10:06

Originally posted by Moose423956

Where was that job ad? I may be interested.

CUK job search, enter COBOL. It's one of the first few.

**threaded** · 22 February 2007, 11:23

Wasn't there some guy thinking of updating COBOL, adding in some object oriented features, was going to call it: "Add 1 TO COBOL GIVING COBOL".

**darmstadt** · 22 February 2007, 12:00

Originally posted by threaded

Wasn't there some guy thinking of updating COBOL, adding in some object oriented features, was going to call it: "Add 1 TO COBOL GIVING COBOL".

Not quite but there are OO features of COBOL. In fact COBOL can do a lot nowadays on the mainframe especially. As in:

* Enables interoperability with Java components across distributed applications
* Promotes the exchange and usage of data in standardized formats including XML and Unicode
* Supports Java interoperability by new object-oriented syntax
* Integrates CICS translator
* Provides XML and enhanced Unicode support
* Provides enhancements to z/OS UNIX® System Services support for tolerating threads and asynchronous signals
* Facilitates the reuse of existing applications in WebSphere® and traditional z/OS environments

I remember some years ago writing a massive COBL application which used a number of reuseable components which we christened POO, Psuedo Object Oriented

**DimPrawn** · 22 February 2007, 12:13

The only COBOL worth knowing.

http://www.netcobol.com/products/windows/netcobol.html

Fujitsu NetCOBOL for .NET is a COBOL compiler created specifically for Microsoft's .Net Framework. This means that it:

Produces Microsoft's Intermediate Language (MSIL) that executes under the Common Language Runtime (CLR). This language-neutral, platform independent environment enables COBOL code to be mixed with any other .NET-supporting language (such as C# and VB .NET) on any .NET-supporting platform.
Adapts OO COBOL syntax, and supports .NET-specific extensions, so that COBOL programs can be written to take full advantage of the .NET Framework classes.
Media pack includes Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005 Standard Edition – a value-packed add-on delivering this award-winning development environment for NetCOBOL for .NET developers.
These features allow you to bring COBOL fully into the world of Internet applications including XML Web services and ASP.NET pages, and to integrate that code with code written in other languages. The .NET Framework gives access to the latest technology and NetCOBOL for .NET ensures this is immediately available to COBOL programmers. COBOL-85 code and, with the help of NeoKicks, NeoBatch, and NeoSort, mainframe CICS and batch programs can be compiled and run, enabling you to leverage your current COBOL assets.

NetCOBOL for .NET can be purchased in three different packages: Professional, Developer, and Universal. The Professional package contains the .NET-supporting components and only supports the development of applications that will execute in the .NET environment. The Developer package adds NetCOBOL for Windows Standard Edition and multi-threaded run-time, giving the ability to develop native Windows applications as well as .NET-targeted applications and integrate the two together. The Universal package is a combination of the NetCOBOL for .NET Professional product and the NetCOBOL for Windows Enterprise Edition, giving you our top-of-the-line Windows application development environment along with the leading-edge NetCOBOL for .NET product.

**Euro-commuter** · 22 February 2007, 12:13

Originally posted by threaded

Wasn't there some guy thinking of updating COBOL, adding in some object oriented features, was going to call it: "Add 1 TO COBOL GIVING COBOL".

Q: What's the big advantage of OO programming?
A: You can save effort because you can reuse all your OO code.
Q: Great! How do we start?
A: First thing, rewrite all your code.

**BlasterBates** · 22 February 2007, 12:16

I remember whilst writing interfaces to mainframe applications, that one of them was written on "Object-Cobol". It was absolutely horrible. The guy who wrote it said "never again"

.

COBOL is the future