COBOL Programming Language

COBOL (short for Common Business Oriented Language) is a computer programming language, used by people who will give instructions to the computer to solve business problems. because of its orientation on a problem, this language is often also called Problem Oriented Language. COBOL is a High Level Language, written in layman language instruction in English.COBOL can be used on almost all of its computers are available compilers. 


COBOL was created in 1959, the next COBOL language development undertaken by a group called the CODASYL, stands for Conference on Data System Language.COBOL language was first introduced officially or formally in January 1960. Versions of this COBOL language called COBOL-60. And updated in 1965.If a non-standard computer language, in the sense that many versions, the user makes it difficult to apply, the user must adjust the version of COBOL is used by a particular computer. To overcome this problem, in 1968 and 1974 COBOL language was developed and further refined and standardized by the name of COBOL ANSI (American National Standards Institute). ANSI COBOL These are now widely applied oelh number of computer manufacturers.


 With the standardization, the user is not too difficult to use a different version of the COBOL language as the core of this same language,for example for the use of microcomputer operating systems CP / M or MS-DOS or PC-DOS, the Microsoft software company to develop COBOL language called COBOL-80 or MS-COBOL. Although different versions of the COBOL language COBOL-80 but on the basis of the ANSI standard, which is standardized in 1974 (American National Standards Institute Number x3.23-1974), so that its standard.With COBOL language, just write instruction with English words such as ADD, Move, MULTIPLE, READ, WRITE, and so forth. The words used in the COBOL language called COBOL Reserved Words. Besides COBOL reserved words, which are words that have been defined by the COBOL language, which has a certain sense, this language user can create their own words (User Defined Words) to define a specific name.


COBOL language program is a structured program, a program whose structure is clear, readable, and easy to learn, and good for documentation. The main structure of a COBOL program consists of four Divisions, namely:

* IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.

Information regarding the identity of the program (program name, the creator, date created, date compiled, and others.).

* ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.

Information about the state of computers and other tools being used.

* DATA DIVISION.

Information on the form, any kind of data used in the corresponding program.

* Procedure DIVISION.

The information includes data processing procedures which the data shown in the DATA DIVISION for the generated output.

From what can be done by COBOL, COBOL concept of orientation on business issues can actually be for all the problems associated denagn data processing. For example, data processing students, namely students to process the input data, until the resulting output of detailed information about the student concerned, can also be done by COBOL.From the descriptions above, it can be concluded that the COBOL language users have several advantages, including:


1. COBOL program is made in English language instruction, and thus more easily learned and created.
2. COBOL program is suitable for many data processing applied to problem.
3. COBOL program are standard, so it can be used on different computers, without much difference.
4. COBOL program structure clear, so it can be understood by people such as accountants, auditors, or managers who mempunayai only a little knowledge of data processing.
5. COBOL Program Listings facilities, if necessary, can be checked by someone other than the programmers.
6. Easily be documented and developed as necessary.

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