COBOL
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Programming
| Stands for | Common Business-Oriented Language |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
COBOL stands for Common Business-Oriented Language, a programming abbreviation.
A verbose, English-like programming language designed for business data processing and still running core systems at banks, insurers and government agencies. Mainframe COBOL code processes enormous volumes of financial transactions every day.
Example: The state's unemployment system runs on COBOL, and few programmers know it anymore.
Usage notes
Designed in 1959 by the CODASYL committee with US Defense Department backing, drawing heavily on Grace Hopper's earlier FLOW-MATIC language. During the 2020 pandemic, several US states publicly sought COBOL programmers to fix overwhelmed unemployment systems. Modern versions include object-oriented features. Pronounced "KOH-bol".
Related abbreviations
More programming abbreviations
- CD – Continuous delivery
- chmod – Change mode
- CI – Continuous integration
- CI/CD – Continuous integration and continuous delivery (or deployment)
- CLI – Command-line interface
- CLR – Common Language Runtime
- COM – Component Object Model
- COW – Copy-on-write
- CQRS – Command Query Responsibility Segregation
- CRLF – Carriage return and line feed
- CRUD – Create, read, update, delete
- CVS – Concurrent Versions System