Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxq.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2 From: amigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson) Newsgroups: net.jokes.d Subject: COBOL Message-ID: <772@ihuxq.UUCP> Date: Tue, 13-Mar-84 14:03:05 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxq.772 Posted: Tue Mar 13 14:03:05 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Mar-84 08:19:46 EST References: <34100007@uo-vax1.UUCP> <755@ihuxq.UUCP> <908@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 33 Barry Gold says: >> What's the matter with COBOL? asks John Hobson. >> >> One acquaintance was unfortunate/silly enough to sign up for >> Control Data's programmer training course. It included a >> unit on COBOL; programs were submitted on PUNCHED CARDS. He >> discovered that it is possible to receive more error messages >> than you had statements in your program by misspelling one word. >> >> The word? IDENTIFICATION A couple of comments: First, when I made my submission, I had my tongue firmly in my cheek. I probably should have given the ":-)" symbol, but I felt that my sarcasm was heavy enough to forgo it. For those of you who do not understand why misspelling IDENTIFICATION should get you into so much trouble, it is because this word is required in the first line of every COBOL program. Because it was not there, the compiler kept looking for it on every card of the program, and complained when it did not find it. Every COBOL compiler I have ever played with (admittedly just IBM and DEC) would allow you to abbreviate IDENTIFICATION as ID. When I learned COBOL, I too wrote my programs on punched cards. I once had the card that said PROCEDURE DIVISION come up as the 6th card in my deck, and I too had more error messages than I had source lines. John Hobson AT&T Bell Labs--Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2