Walt Mankowski on 21 Nov 2016 11:48:27 -0800 |
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Re: [PLUG] [plug-announce] Mon, Nov 21, 2016: "Secrets of the Dead: What Modern Programmers Can Learn from COBOL" by Walt Mankowski (7pm at ATS in Malvern) |
In case anyone is wondering, this will be the same talk I gave over the summer at FOSSCON. I also gave a shorter version of the talk at this year's YAPC and at a PHL.pm meeting, but this new version is longer and (hopefully) better. On Mon, Nov 21, 2016 at 12:40:01PM -0500, Paul L. Snyder wrote: > The Philadelphia Area Linux Users Group (PLUG) cordially invites you > to a PLUG West meeting on Monday, November 21 at ATS in Malvern, PA > from 7-9 pm. > > This month, PLUG West welcomes back Dr. Walt Mankowski, who will be > giving a talk entitled "Secrets of the Dead: What Modern Programmers > Can Learn from COBOL". Walt's description of the talk: > > COBOL is the Rodney Dangerfield of the programming world â?? it > doesnâ??t get any respect. COBOL is routinely denigrated for its > verbosity and dismissed as archaic, and for good reason: COBOL > bears little to no resemblance to modern programming languages. > Yet COBOL is far from a dead language. COBOL processes an > estimated 85% of all business transactions, and 5 billion new > lines of COBOL are written every year. > > I spent 10 years as a COBOL developer and saw first-hand the > good and the bad of the language. Many of its criticisms are > valid, and most PLUG attendees would probably be appalled at > COBOLâ??s syntax. But as COBOL approaches its 7th decade of > active use, itâ??s worth remembering that there are a few things > that COBOL got spectacularly right, particularly in its primary > niche in mainframe business programming. These include: > > * Separation of code, presentation, and operating environment > * Datatypes to handle decimal currency amounts > * Reading and writing fixed-length records > > And that appalling syntax is simple enough that even > non-programmers can learn the basics in a few hours. > > Attendees will come away with old techniques they can apply to > their new systems, and a new-found respect for their elders. > > Interested in Linux, BSD, and Free Software? Whether you're already an > enthusiast or want to learn more, come and join us! PLUG meetings are > free and open to everyone, and anyone who is curious is invited to > attend. > > The meeting will be at the ATS office in Malvern, PA: > > ATS Group & IBM Innovation Center > 1200 Atwater Drive, Suite 170 > Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 > > For driving directions, please visit > > http://www.phillylinux.org/locations/ats.html > > For more information about PLUG, please visit our website at > > http://www.phillylinux.org > _______________________________________________ > plug-announce mailing list > plug-announce@lists.phillylinux.org > http://lists.netisland.net/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce > ___________________________________________________________________________ > Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org > Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce > General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
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