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COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) is one of the oldest programming languages, developed in 1959 for business applications. Despite its age, COBOL remains widely used, particularly in financial institutions, government systems, and large-scale enterprise software. COBOL has evolved significantly over the decades, with updates and improvements to meet modern computing demands. Below is a comprehensive history of COBOL, highlighting key features and changes introduced in major versions since its inception.

1. COBOL 2014 (ISO/IEC 1989:2014)

COBOL 2014 introduced several important features to modernize the language, allowing it to better support contemporary business environments and interoperability with other languages.

Key features:

• **Intrinsic Functions**: Expanded the library of intrinsic functions to simplify operations like mathematical calculations and string manipulation.
• **Object-Oriented Enhancements**: Improved object-oriented programming (OOP) features introduced in earlier versions, including better inheritance and encapsulation support.
• **Unicode Support**: Added support for Unicode, allowing COBOL applications to process international text more easily, expanding its utility in global applications.
• **XML Processing**: Enhanced XML handling capabilities, allowing for easier parsing and generation of XML documents directly from COBOL programs.
• **JSON Support**: Introduced new capabilities for generating and consuming JSON data, facilitating integration with modern web services and APIs.

Official documentation: https://www.iso.org/standard/51561.html

1. COBOL 2002 (ISO/IEC 1989:2002)

COBOL 2002 was a major release that introduced significant new features aimed at modernizing the language, including the introduction of object-oriented programming.

Key features:

• **Object-Oriented Programming**: COBOL 2002 introduced OOP features, such as classes, inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation, enabling developers to write more modular and reusable code.
• **User-Defined Functions**: This feature allowed developers to create their own functions, providing greater flexibility in writing reusable code modules.
• **Exception Handling**: Added structured exception handling capabilities, similar to the try-catch mechanisms found in other languages like Java or C++, improving error management.
• **Support for National Characters**: Introduced the `NATIONAL` clause to support double-byte character sets (DBCS) for internationalization.
• **Intrinsic Functions**: Expanded the set of intrinsic functions to include more mathematical, string manipulation, and data transformation operations.

Official documentation: https://www.iso.org/standard/32755.html

1. COBOL 1985 (ANSI X3.23-1985)

COBOL 1985 was a significant revision of the language, introducing new programming constructs and enhancements to improve efficiency and readability.

Key features:

• **Structured Programming**: Added control structures like `IF`, `PERFORM`, and `EVALUATE`, which improved the readability and flow control of COBOL programs, encouraging a more structured programming style.
• **Scope Terminators**: Introduced explicit scope terminators (e.g., `END-IF`, `END-PERFORM`) to clarify the structure of nested statements, reducing ambiguity in complex programs.
• **DATA DIVISION Improvements**: Added features to simplify data definitions and record structures, improving how COBOL handled data and file processing.
• **In-Line PERFORM**: Introduced the ability to perform code blocks inline, allowing for more compact and readable loops and control flow operations.
• **CALL Statement Enhancements**: Enhanced the `CALL` statement to enable dynamic calling of subprograms, improving the modularity and reusability of COBOL code.

Official documentation: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/800214

1. COBOL 1974 (ANSI X3.23-1974)

COBOL 1974 introduced improvements to error handling and control structures, making the language more robust for large-scale business applications.

Key features:

• **Improved Error Handling**: Added more robust error-handling mechanisms, allowing for better control over program execution in cases of file and data errors.
• **Nested IF Statements**: Allowed nesting of `IF` statements, improving the control flow and decision-making capabilities of COBOL programs.
• **Additional Verbs**: Introduced new verbs like `MERGE` and `SORT`, streamlining data processing operations, particularly for file handling.
• **File Handling Improvements**: Enhanced file handling capabilities, making COBOL better suited for managing large volumes of data in business applications.

Official documentation: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/800207

1. COBOL 1968 (ANSI X3.23-1968)

COBOL 1968 was the first standard version of COBOL, introducing significant updates to the language's syntax and expanding its capabilities for business data processing.

Key features:

• **Introduction of Structured Data Handling**: Improved how data was defined and processed, including support for hierarchical data structures.
• **Report Writer**: Introduced the `REPORT SECTION`, simplifying the creation of reports by allowing developers to specify the format and content of reports in a structured way.
• **File I/O Enhancements**: Added more advanced file handling operations, making it easier to manage input and output operations, particularly for business applications dealing with large datasets.
• **SORT and MERGE Verbs**: Introduced built-in commands for sorting and merging data, automating key operations used in many business applications.

Official documentation: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/800204

1. COBOL 1961 (COBOL-61)

COBOL 1961 was the first revision of the language, based on feedback from early adopters and developers who used COBOL in production environments.

Key features:

• **File Processing Enhancements**: Introduced improvements in how COBOL handled sequential and indexed files, making the language more suitable for batch processing tasks common in business environments.
• **Table Handling Improvements**: Improved support for array-like data structures (tables), making it easier to define and manipulate repeating data elements.
• **Debugging and Error Reporting**: Added new facilities for error reporting and debugging, improving the reliability of COBOL programs in production environments.

Official documentation: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/800201

1. COBOL 1960 (Initial Version)

COBOL 1960 was the original version of the language, designed to be a portable, business-oriented programming language. The language was developed by a committee known as the CODASYL (Conference on Data Systems Languages), and its primary purpose was to meet the growing need for standardized business applications across different industries.

Key features:

• **English-Like Syntax**: COBOL was designed to be readable by non-programmers, with an English-like syntax that emphasized business-related terms (e.g., `MOVE`, `ADD`, `DIVIDE`, `IF`, `THEN`).
• **Data Division**: COBOL introduced the `DATA DIVISION`, which allowed for detailed specification of data structures and record formats, making it well-suited for business data processing.
• **File Processing**: COBOL was built with strong support for file processing operations, making it an ideal language for applications involving large-scale data processing and report generation.
• **Cross-Platform Compatibility**: One of the design goals of COBOL was to ensure that programs could be written and executed on different hardware platforms, which made it highly portable for its time.

Official documentation: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/800196

Despite being one of the oldest programming languages, COBOL has evolved significantly over the decades, adapting to the needs of modern businesses while retaining its core strengths in data processing and report generation. From the initial version in 1960 to the latest COBOL 2014 release, the language has continually introduced new features such as object-oriented programming, improved file handling, and support for modern data formats like XML and JSON. COBOL remains an essential tool for many industries, particularly in the financial, government, and large-scale enterprise sectors, where legacy systems continue to rely on its robustness and efficiency. With each new version, COBOL has remained relevant, proving its longevity in the world of programming.