COBOL

alternative Cobol

1. computer languagesA programming language developed in the late 1950s, especially for business applications.

   American institutions are in many ways still adapting to the internet—the IRS still processes tax returns using COBOL, a programming language that was released in 1960.

   2026 April 3, Matteo Wong, Lila Shroff, “Silicon Valley Is in a Frenzy Over Bots That Build Themselves”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC

   2 more examples

   The problem in COBOL is that, while there exists a standard COBOL, ANS (American National Standard) COBOL, no computer manufacturer offers a COBOL compiler that is both full and pure ANS.

   1973, Russell M. Armstrong, Modular Programming in COBOL, Wiley-Interscience

   Because COBOL does not have a date type, some implementations rely instead on a system whereby all dates are coded to a reference point. The most commonly used is May 20, 1875, as this was the date of an international standards-setting conference held in Paris, known as the Convention du Mètre.

   2025 February 17, David Gilbert, “No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits”, in WIRED, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2025

1. computer languagesAlternative letter-case form of COBOL.