RE: Rats! I opened it ( was RE: test-please do not open )

I think it's a little of both. The tools for COBOL have been around for many 
years, so there's virtually no bugs remaining and there's almost nothing 
someone hasn't tried yet in terms of solving a programming problem. 

And it's also true that COBOL is in its waning years. The more systems move to 
Internet based technologies, and the more legacy back-end systems are gradually 
replaced, the more COBOL disappears.

There are some nice things about working with COBOL on an iSeries. Well-written 
code is practically self-documenting. But there are also some limitations 
compared to RPG. For example, you can't protoype in COBOL, which makes Java 
integration more difficult, and COBOL doesn't handle null termination as 
easily, which makes use of the Unix APIs (for IFS work) slightly more complex.

However, the change in my own life is a shift away from iSeries languages 
altogether. I program in the areas of Human Resources, Financials, and Credit. 
In these areas, we are moving more and more to Internet based solutions, both 
with our business partners and with our own ERP solutions. I'm not shifting 
from COBOL to RPG; I'm shifting from COBOL to PeopleCode, XHTML, CSS, and Java.

My 2 cents.

Thanks,
Kelly
-----Original Message-----
From: cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
geir.kildal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 2:36 AM
To: COBOL Programming on the iSeries/AS400
Subject: Re: [COBOL400-L] Rats! I opened it ( was RE: test-please do not
open )


Well, either we are too clever, or we are a dying breed?

What if some of you could write someting about COBOL's future to this 
list.  What happends to COBOL? (ILE, OO, etc, etc...)  Is it at all 
interesting working with COBOL today?  Or is it only us oldtimers 
mantaining old systems who are using the laguage today?  They do not learn 
it in scools anymore...(it's decades ago..


Mvh.

Geir Kildal
TietoEnator AS
Tlf . . : (+47) 611 73805
Mob. : (+47) 90 10 13 16
eMail: geir.kildal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




qsrvbas@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Tom Liotta) 
Sent by: cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
04.03.2005 03:07
Please respond to
COBOL Programming on the iSeries/AS400 <cobol400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


To
cobol400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
cc

Subject
[COBOL400-L] Rats! I opened it ( was RE: test-please do not open )






ML:

This list is seldom active. In fact, it seems less active than it should 
be even if a 5% estimate of penetration for COBOL in the AS/400 world is a 
reasonable guess.

One post went by a few days ago; but I wasn't familiar enough with what 
the poster wanted, so I let it go. The question seemed pretty narrowly 
focused and best answered by someone who had done the same thing in the 
past.

But that's been it for a while.

I'm not sure if that means COBOL programmers have fewer problems than RPG 
programmers or not. Interesting thought.

Tom Liotta

cobol400-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>   1.  test-please do not open (mahalakshmi s)
>
>I have subscribed recently. Since I didn't receive any group mails,
>just wanted to send a test mail.
>
>Sorry for the inconvenience,
>ML

-- 
Tom Liotta
The PowerTech Group, Inc.
19426 68th Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032
Phone  253-872-7788 x313
Fax    253-872-7904
http://www.powertech.com


__________________________________________________________________
Switch to Netscape Internet Service.
As low as $9.95 a month -- Sign up today at 
http://isp.netscape.com/register

Netscape. Just the Net You Need.

New! Netscape Toolbar for Internet Explorer
Search from anywhere on the Web and block those annoying pop-ups.
Download now at http://channels.netscape.com/ns/search/install.jsp
_______________________________________________
This is the COBOL Programming on the iSeries/AS400 (COBOL400-L) mailing 
list
To post a message email: COBOL400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/cobol400-l
or email: COBOL400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/cobol400-l.


_______________________________________________
This is the COBOL Programming on the iSeries/AS400 (COBOL400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: COBOL400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/cobol400-l
or email: COBOL400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/cobol400-l.