cobollisted

# COBOL COBOL runs 70% of the world's business transactions. Modern COBOL (GnuCOBOL 3.2 / IBM Enterprise COBOL) supports **JSON**, XML, and Object-Oriented features. ## When to Use - **Mainframes**: The backbone of banking/insurance systems (CICS/IMS). - **Legacy Migration**: Moving logic to Linux/Cloud using GnuCOBOL. - **Decimal Arithmetic**: Native fixed-point math (`PICTURE 9V99`) is unmatched for currency. ## Core Concepts ### Divisions `IDENTIFICATION`, `ENVIRONMENT`, `DATA`, `PROCEDURE`. ### Picture Clause `01 SALARY PIC 9(5)V99`. Defines data layout precisely. ### PERFORM The main control flow loop. ## Best Practices (2025) **Do**: - **Use GnuCOBOL**: For local development on Mac/Linux. - **Use `VS Code`**: With the `bitlang.cobol` extension. - **Unit Test**: Use `COBOL Check` or `ZUnit`. **Don't**: - **Don't use `GO TO`**: Use `PERFORM` and structured programming. ## References - [GnuCOBOL FAQ](https://gnucobol.sourceforge.io/faq/)