Customer Reviews

Sams Teach Yourself COBOL in 24 Hours

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been studying Cobol for about 9 months. Due to this being a "Home Study" course I have browsed several books and manuals to compliment my supplied texts. I can honestly say that "Teach Yourself Cobol in 24 Hours" by Thane Hubbell is not only the most comprehensive introduction to cobol I have found, it is also the most readable. The examples and exercises are well thought out and give many hints as to the pitfalls encountered by newcommers and helps you to avoid common mistakes and missconceptions. The chapter on Tables (Hour 12) has aided my understanding of, what is agreed by many newcommers to be, one of the most difficult concepts to grasp. I find the lighthearted but realistic approach to this subject makes learning such a dry subject much less of a chore. This book also takes you through the use of the compiler supplied on disc so not only does it teach you cobol "Theory" but you also get to put it into practice. Before using this book my experience of compiler options and environment variables was minimal to say the least.The other programs that come with the compiler allow you to create printed reports for output and user interface screens for input with such ease it is difficult to stop "examining the potential" or playing with them as my girlfriend would say. Never the less these tools take a lot of the tedious parts of coding out of the equation and allow you to concentrate on the more vital areas of your program. In conclusion I would like to say that in my humble opinion Sams,Fujitsu and Mr Hubbell have provided a complete and comprehensive tool for getting started with cobol and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Yours with immense gratitude Stu Talbot.

I am about in half of the book and I must say it is an excellent book. The compiler is good as well, considering that it comes free with the book. The examples are very good and are based on real world problems. So you not only learn the theory but also gaining a knowledge of solving real world problems. The language the author uses is understandable to anyone who can speak English just a little (BTW, English is my second language and I did not experience any difficulties to understand what author means at all). The only minus I found was that the book almost completelly omitted the debugging, which is essential if you want to be a true programmer (in any language). However, the combination of theory, excersices and free compiler makes this book and excellent buy for any COBOL novice like myself.

For anyone needing an introduction into COBOL or as in my case, a review of something that they learned years ago then this book is just the ticket. Learning programming from a book is bad enough and learning from a bad book is even worse but Hubbell's book gets you up and running in short order. The compiler that comes on the CD is a tremendous aid and I installed in on a system running Windows 98 with no problems. Once you understand that COBOL programs need to be compiled, linked and then executed you should be off and running. Chapters one and two might need to be read with pen in hand but after you compile your first program you will see actual real world errors. There is also a lot of 3rd party software on the CD that I havent even looked at yet. The chapters are loaded with information but the reading is fairly straight forward. All in all, a very good buy.

I just changed postions in my company's MIS department and now am working with COBOL. It had been over 10 years since I worked with it and needed a refresher. The book really met with my expectations and helped re-introduce me to the language. I would recommend it to anyone from beginner to those getting back into it.

I bought this book to help prepare me for a course in programming and systems analysis. It did a lot more! I found myself actually compiling and executing programmes within the first couple of hours! I have found that the software cd provided, with fujitsu compiler, lots of info and questions and answers has put me streets ahead. I am completing 8 week sections of my course in two weeks! Excellent value for money.

I am 16 years old. Several of my family members are programmers, most of them use COBOL. With this book, and a little help from my family I am learning COBOL. I like the fact that I can use the computer, compile and execute exercises right from the first lesson. I am on chapter seven and having a lot of fun. I also think I am learning COBOL very well. My tutor says he is pleased with the book and with my progress. We recommend it to anyone who wants to learn COBOL even without experience in a previous programming language.

I'm sort of cheating on this one; since Thane works for me I get to see the book way before y'all do! It will actually publish at 500 pages or so due to the great depth to which he goes into each topic. In spite of the length, it goes quickly.

I like his approach, with lots of examples, and his use of the most current COBOL standards, combined with 15 years of business experience on mainframes and PCs. His advice makes sense, works, and can be easily expanded upon. Even though I've been writing COBOL for 30 years, I learned some ways to improve my program structure.

I evaluated the book with the idea of using it as a text for a 4 credit hour Freshman or Sophomore class in compter science and found that it should do nicely, in fact the proposal is on the Dean's desk right now, with a request for Spring 1999 semester introduction.

Very good introduction. They compiler is a little dated but the text is excellent. Knocked out a fairly large project after one read. The chapter on random file access is exceptional.

With a tip from the author, I could make the compiler work. The compiler directive 'MAIN' has to be included to make the sample1 program link. With the book and a working compiler, I am happy at my progress in learning COBOL.

I found this book to be great. It help me with a quick answer guide, to write cobol programs.