From: utzoo!decvax!watmath!jcwinterton Newsgroups: net.jokes Title: Re: pathetic jokes (n.f. / flame) Article-I.D.: watmath.2563 Posted: Wed Jun 9 19:43:06 1982 Received: Thu Jun 10 01:02:05 1982 References: pyuxbb.125 With respect to COBOL as a joke (stuctured or not), it is doubless here to stay. I don't think COBOL is a joke, as I happen to have written several programs in it, and I seriously doubt whether some of them could have been written in any other language with the ease and facility with which these were done. Of course, the programs were used in business and were essentially performing accounting and reporting functions. One of the more recent ones had nine (9) RD descriptions in it and it worked the first time with no modifications in the report writer until new reports were requested. At that time, the maintenance programmer added a few new detail lines and control breaks to the REPORT SECTION only, and the revised program ran the first time. All flaming aside, you who speak from slight acquaintance with the grande dame of programming languages, should put up or shut up! Let's see a better langauge for file bashing and reporting than COBOL. Well???? John Winterton.