COBOL, from Common Business Oriented Language, is a programming language designed for business data processing, first specified in 1959 by a committee convened under the US Department of Defense called CODASYL. Its design drew heavily on FLOW MATIC, an earlier English like language developed by Grace Hopper's team, and Hopper was an influential advocate throughout COBOL's development for making business programs readable by non programmers and portable across different computers. Despite predictions of its retirement for decades, COBOL code still runs a large share of the world's banking, insurance and government payroll systems.
Facts
First Released SignificanceThe dominant language of business data processing for decades, still running much of the world's banking and government infrastructure. 2 Classification
Typing Discipline Typing Discipline FAQs
Who created COBOL?
A group of seven people created it in 1959.
No single person created COBOL. The Programming Language Database lists it as created in 1959 by seven people: Howard Bromberg, Norman Discount, Vernon Reeves, Jean E. Sammet, William Selden, Gertrude Tierney and Grace Hopper.
Connections
Follows Typing Discipline
In Field
Source The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital RevolutionWalter Isaacson
Influenced
Influenced By
Grace Hopper, Pioneers COBOL was designed by a CODASYL committee, not by Hopper alone, but its design drew heavily on her earlier FLOW MATIC language and she was an influential advocate throughout its development.
Source The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital RevolutionWalter Isaacson
Invented By
Sources
1. Wikidata: COBOL
- Wikidata Q131140, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Wikidata Q131140 P571 (inception)
- Wikidata Q131140 P7078 (typing discipline)
View the Source2. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
Walter Isaacson, Simon and Schuster, 2014
Wikipedia: COBOL
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language; ) is a compiled English-like computer programming language designed for business use.
In Group: Business and Data Processing Languages, Lead
COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language; ) is a compiled English-like computer programming language designed for business use.
View the Source Wikidata: ABAP
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