<language> /koh'bol/ (COBOL) A programming language for simple computations on large amounts of data designed by the CODASYL Committee in April 1960. It is the most widely used programming language today. The natural language style is intended to be largely self-documenting. It introduced the record structure.
Major revisions in 1968 (ANS X3.23-1968), 1974 (ANS X3.23-1974) and 1985.
COBOL is synonymous with evil. It is a weak, verbose, and flabby language used by card wallopers to do boring mindless things on dinosaur mainframes. Hackers believe that all COBOL programmers are suits or code grinders, and no self-respecting hacker will ever admit to having learned the language. Its very name is seldom uttered without ritual expressions of disgust or horror.
See also fear and loathing, software rot.
Usenet newsgroup: comp.lang.cobol.
["Initial Specifications for a Common Business Oriented Language" DoD, US GPO, Apr 1960].
(28 Sep 1996)