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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxl!cbosgd!mark
From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: If "MERRY XMAS" in COBOL is a must, then at least make it Structured
Message-ID: <636@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Nov-83 00:24:52 EST
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.636
Posted: Tue Nov 22 00:24:52 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Nov-83 04:52:24 EST
References: <804@ritcv.UUCP>, <647@bmcg.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 18

FORTRAN and COBOL have been around for over 20 years.  This implies
that (a) there have been 20 years for programs to be written, and
(b) there are a lot of people out there that know only COBOL or
only FORTRAN and therefore program exclusively in that language.
Consider also that IBM has supported both languages very well for
the whole 20 years.  Finally, consider that until recently, computers
were too expensive for mere people to buy, and while some companies
need scientific computers or special purposes computers or develop
software, nearly every large company 20 years ago needed a computer
to print paychecks, do inventory, and so on.  And of course these
programs were all written in COBOL since they are traditional COBOL
applications (business oriented, I/O bound programs with little or
no computation).

Thus, it should be no surprise that there have been some incredible
number of FORTRAN and COBOL programs written.  Probably today someone
can claim BASIC has the most programs, but this doesn't mean anything
except that lots of home computers have been sold.