Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!rutgers!mtunx!mtune!codas!flnexus!kimbal!rick From: rick@kimbal.UUCP (Rick Kimball) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: Re: Theory vs. Practice Message-ID: <693@kimbal.UUCP> Date: 20 Apr 88 00:40:06 GMT References: <619@psu-cs.UUCP> Organization: Mac Source BBS, Altamonte Spgs, FL Lines: 63 From article <619@psu-cs.UUCP>, by warren@psu-cs.UUCP (Warren Harrison): > Anyway, I'm really looking forward to some insight on the problem. COBOL Mentality 101 o Use Globals whenever possible (You have no other choice!) o MOVE statements are much more efficient than using address manipulation. o Compilers written in COBOL do things the most efficient way. o Create interpreted P-Code, not true excutables. o Execute code from a data segment o Modify the executable code on the fly o Interface well to code written in other languages. o UPPER CASE CODE IS THE EASIEST TO READ. o Never use one bit when a byte will do. o Never use 'Y' when 'YES' will do. o READABLE CODE IS EASIER TO THROW AWAY WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK. o NEVER use GOTO's; they are a sign of a Bad Programmer. o ABOVE ALL, readabilty is most important, not functionality. I left my last company because they tried to implement a PC based product using COBOL. Originally, it was to be written in 'C' and XENIX. I wasted five months trying to make it work without any success. On my own time I re-designed and re-implemented all the code in 'C'. The goal of the product was to give the user sub-second response. With COBOL they got ten second response. With the 'C' version they got the target response. When I showed them the results their response was; "Well we don't have any 'C' programmers except you and two other people. So we'll write sub-routines for the COBOL programmers" (the other 20 people). At that point, I got a real job and have been enjoying every productive moment since. I really don't hate COBOL. :-) It just doesn't fit well with the UNIX way of thinking. What I hate most of all is COBOL thinking. BTW: After I left, they cancelled the project after wasting a lot of money on that could have been better spent on improving PC-Pursuit. :-) -- Rick Kimball Software Design Group Maitland, FL 32751 W (407) 660-0006; H (407) 788-6875 UUCP: rick@kimbal, ...codas!flnexus!kimbal!rick -- Rick Kimball Software Design Group Maitland, FL 32751 W (407) 660-0006; H (407) 788-6875 UUCP: rick@kimbal, ...codas!flnexus!kimbal!rick