Chapter 1: Your Future with COBOL

Retrain or Plan to Retire from Computer Programming

Long before .NET became the household techie buzzword that it currently is (in fact, before Microsoft itself existed), a former mentor of mine suggested a career survival strategy to me. The "strategy" was simple. It first examined one's commitment to being a "technical professional." It then made clear how "change" was inherent in the very nature of technology. To help cement his points, my mentor offered an analogy that I remember to this day:

"Keeping up with technology is like being on board a speedingtrain. The day that you decide to take a break from learning, youare essentially getting off of the train ”and yes, the train will leavewithout you."

I am entering into this discussion with the assumption that you, the reader, are interested in continued employment, competitive compensation, the opportunity to obtain marketable skills, and the chance to work on interesting and new development projects. The fact that you are reading this book is a strong indication that you are either still "on board the train" or looking for assistance to jump back on board (this includes those that may have been unknowingly kicked off the train). Either way, welcome.

In this chapter, I present a sampling of recent activities surrounding the COBOL language standardization effort. I choose to do this not only because I remain fond of the language, but also because I want to make a point: The world of COBOL mainframe development is undergoing a significant change. I discuss this point in the context of the resulting retraining choices. That's where things become interesting. I discuss these choices and perhaps your choice ”to abandon the mainframe and begin your reformation .

Reformations, Transitions, and Having Fun

Throughout this chapter (and this book) I have chosen to use the term "reform" ”along with several conjugated forms of the term ”to refer to the "technology transition" that you are embarking on. Although a reformation sounds more dramatic and intriguing than a "technology transition," I realize that the term may seem offensive to some. So, please note that I have gone through this same transition myself . Yet, I am and will continue to be proud of my mainframe background. The fact that you have brought me along as you embark on that same transitional journey is an honor for me. Please pardon my attempt at making that journey fun, interesting, and enjoyable ”hence the humorous use of the term "reform" simply to refer to the exciting retraining effort that awaits you.

 

Now, let's get started.