cobol hello world

Guri Bee

2 min read

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23-10-2024

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A Blast from the Past: Writing "Hello World" in COBOL

COBOL, short for COmmon Business Oriented Language, is a veteran in the programming world, having been around since the 1950s. It's still widely used in legacy systems, particularly in financial institutions and government agencies. While it might seem like a relic of the past, understanding COBOL can be valuable for anyone working with these systems or interested in the evolution of programming languages.

Let's embark on a journey back in time and explore how to write the classic "Hello World" program using COBOL.

The "Hello World" Code

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO-WORLD.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
    DISPLAY "Hello, World!".
    STOP RUN.

This simple code does exactly what you expect – it displays "Hello, World!" on the screen. Let's break down the components:

• IDENTIFICATION DIVISION: This section provides information about the program, such as its name (HELLO-WORLD in this case).
• PROGRAM-ID: This line specifies the unique identifier for the program.
• PROCEDURE DIVISION: This is where the actual code logic resides.
• DISPLAY "Hello, World!": This command outputs the message "Hello, World!" to the console.
• STOP RUN: This statement terminates the program execution.

Running the Code

While you can use online COBOL compilers to experiment, running COBOL code traditionally involves the following steps:

1. Compilation: A COBOL compiler translates the source code into machine-readable instructions.
2. Linking: The compiler output is linked with other necessary libraries to create an executable file.
3. Execution: The executable file is run, and the program's logic is executed.

The Importance of COBOL in the Modern World

While modern languages like Python and Java are widely used today, understanding COBOL is still relevant for several reasons:

• Legacy System Maintenance: Many critical systems, especially in finance, insurance, and government, still run on COBOL.
• Data Conversion: Organizations often need to convert data from legacy COBOL systems to newer technologies.
• Security and Compliance: Ensuring the security and compliance of these legacy systems is essential.
• Historical Perspective: Studying COBOL provides valuable insights into the evolution of programming languages.

Learning Resources

If you're interested in delving deeper into COBOL, here are some helpful resources:

• IBM's COBOL Documentation: Comprehensive documentation and tutorials on the language.
• COBOL Programming for Beginners: A beginner-friendly guide to learning the basics of COBOL.
• The COBOL Programming Language: A Guide for Beginners: A comprehensive book covering the fundamentals of COBOL.

Conclusion

Even though COBOL is often associated with the past, its presence in legacy systems makes it relevant even today. Understanding its principles can be beneficial for anyone working with these systems or simply interested in the history of programming. As you've seen, writing a "Hello World" program in COBOL is a straightforward process, providing a glimpse into this powerful and enduring language.