Customer Reviews

COBOL for the 21st Century

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used this book when I took the class and found it to give helpful examples and be a pretty decent guide for the COBOL language. I graduated got a job as a Mainframe Analyst and eventually came back to the same College to teach the class at night. This gave me a different view of the book.

Pros: If you need to find something about the COBOL language this book will have it. It is very thorough

Cons: I echo one of the other reviewers and say that it does take a defensive standpoint on COBOL. Which, really shouldn't be done because it could possibly steer students away from the language & Mainframe environment when COBOL/Mainframe programmers are needed more and more as the previous generation gets closer to retirement. Secondly, some COBOL statements are used by the book and asked to be coded by the student before they're actually explained. The book does use examples that may be found in the real world... but they still don't quite feel like a business application.

Overall, its still a very thorough book and I appreciate the research and hard work that was obviously put into it... but I will probably be suggesting a switch of the textbook for the next class. I have found the Murach Mainframe books to be a bit more "real world" and they seem to break the language down a bit more and focus on what you'll need to know to start off in the Mainframe environment.

I really like COBOL. It is a shame that it is no longer used much. For reporting programs, it is more user-friendly, than C, C++, etc.

This was a very helpful book for my younger brother who's studying computer science. It has just the information he needs.

This is an old favourite brought upto date. It is great to see that Cobol has made it through to the 21st century and study text like this help to keep it there.

Good service but I did not receive the Cd-Rom that comes with the book and I needed it :(

I purchased this book and got it a day earlier than expected, and in the listed condition...great purchase! Thank you...

Well-written; however, there was nothing to warn me that I would not be getting the CD that was supposed to be part of the ISBN.