Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!ncar!umigw!umiami!slores From: slores@umiami.miami.edu (Stanislaw L. Olejniczak) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Computer langauges and software lifecycle - references request Message-ID: <570@umiami.miami.edu> Date: 24 Apr 89 00:03:28 GMT Organization: University of Miami (IR) Lines: 34 Several days ago I heard an very vigorous argument about the usability, if you will, of various computer programming languages. A person (a professional programmer) was claiming that COBOL is probably the very best langauge for software writing _in general_ (i.e., for applications not specifically requiring facilities of special purpose langauges) because it can do everything C or Pascal or FORTRAN can, and in addition it is so widely used and so well standarized, applications are generally transportable from machine to machine with no modifications. The sense of the argument was that COBOL was the most "useable" language, which by the virtue of its modularity, standarization, and wordiness made it the easiest of the major langauges to create reliable, portable and modifiable software. These arguments did not sit well with me, and they still do not. I believe COBOL is anything but that. However, I neither know COBOL well enough to make a reasonable argument against it, nor do I know well enough about the research about the benefits and drawbacks of various languages as far as creation of reliable, portable, modifiable software goes to support my belief with hard facts. Therefore I would appreciate if anyone would suggest for me references to either books on the subject of langauges and their influence on software reliability, portability, maintainability, and other aspects of the software life cycle (preferred) or research articles (if they would be reviews, "general" or basic enough to serve as jump off points for further reading) covering these questions. Many thanks! ---- Stan Olejniczak Internet: slores@umiami.miami.edu University of Miami UUCP: {uunet!gould}!umbio!solejni Miami, Florida, USA BITNET: SLORES@UMIAMI Voice: (305)-547-6571 FAX:305-547-6412 My opinions cannot possibly represent the views of anyone else!