Need help deciding on a programming class...

[jamesbond007]

I'm making the final decision between two classes for my major. COBOL is the recommended/suggested one I take as I'm a Manangement Information Systems major. However, a friend of mine was able to get into a C++ class and still have it fill the programming requirement for our major. (he has the same major as I do)

Anyways, for all you IT pros out there and IS grad students, do you find yourself using either language more than the other? Have you taken both and found one to be more useful?

Class starts soon, but I am enrolled in the suggested course and my friend starts Monday in C++.

Please advise, thanks!

 

[Descartes]

Is this a trick question?

 

[Feldenak]

C++

I would actually recommend .NET but between those two, C++.

I don't use either COBOL or C++. I do use a little VB.NET and very little C#...I haven't seen C++ since I graduated (MIS).

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Descartes
Is this a trick question?

Not really. What do you use COBOL for these days anyways? Though I am leaning towards COBOL simply because it fits in my schedule a LOT better and wouldn't screw with my work schedule at all.

 

[TallBill]

C++

I start my C++ courses in January 2008

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Descartes
Is this a trick question?

Not really. What do you use COBOL for these days anyways? Though I am leaning towards COBOL simply because it fits in my schedule a LOT better and wouldn't screw with my work schedule at all.

There is still a lot of maintenance work floating around, but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

IMO, even a superficial understanding of C++ will be of much greater value to you than anything of COBOL. Maybe you'll find yourself intrigued by C++, and if so you have so many more options you could segue into, both academically and professionally.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[bennylong]

I took Cobol, Fortron, Pascal, 16 years ago before they offered C. Why the hell would you want to learn Cobol when the only job you can find is for maintanence?

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Descartes
There is still a lot of maintenance work floating around, but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Are you saying it's really hard or what? We are thinking of taking VB .NET together as an extra course in the fall with another friend.

Originally posted by: bennylong
I took Cobol, Fortron, Pascal, 16 years ago before they offered C. Why the hell would you want to learn Cobol when the only job you can find is for maintanence?

Until this thread, I still wasn't clear on what COBOL was used for. Perhaps my time would be better spent taking the VB course in the fall and taking an extra-curricular class (or another required) to fill up the COBOL spot.

 

[cyclistca]

There still a great deal of legacy COBOL code floating around but not a lot of new development. You better off studying one of the OO languages Like C++, C#, or Java.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: cyclistca
There still a great deal of legacy COBOL code floating around but not a lot of new development. You better off studying one of the OO languages Like C++, C#, or Java.

Yep, I took a full year of Java already.

 

[talyn00]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Descartes
There is still a lot of maintenance work floating around, but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Are you saying it's really hard or what? We are thinking of taking VB .NET together as an extra course in the fall with another friend.

Originally posted by: bennylong
I took Cobol, Fortron, Pascal, 16 years ago before they offered C. Why the hell would you want to learn Cobol when the only job you can find is for maintanence?

Until this thread, I still wasn't clear on what COBOL was used for. Perhaps my time would be better spent taking the VB course in the fall and taking an extra-curricular class (or another required) to fill up the COBOL spot.

You can learn VB without having to take a course.

 

[Aharami]

Go with C++. Unless you're looking to do mainframe programming, COBOL wouldnt do you any good. I code in Cobol (yes, there is still developmental work in Cobol...all those new health insurance policies has to get coded somehow) and have been for the past 2 yrs. Its not a very rewarding language - any monkey can code in Cobol. Dont waste time taking a cobol class. Its really easy to pick up - you can do so on your own in a month if you had to. C++ has a much much much bigger market than cobol.

 

[brandonb]

To make a long story short, I look at job postings regularly the last 3 years.

I believe I've seen 1 COBOL job posting, and probably about 30 C++ job postings.

(C++ jobs are rare, but they pay good)....

Mostly its VB, .Net, or Java something or another. Focus on those if you can.

 

[jamesbond007]

What about COBOL now and VB.NET in the fall? I hate taking night classes. Being at school late makes me feel like I never leave.

 

[AmigaMan]

most large banks and financial institutions are still run on mainframes and cobol. Since you're an MIS major, you're not going to be looking for a programming job when you graduate are you? If not, then I'd take the easier one which would be COBOL. C/C++ take a bit to wrap your head around, especially when it comes time to learn pointers.

 

[alkemyst]

I have an uncle that was a big COBOL guru...from about 2 years ago he cannot find work in it in his location. It's a dinosaur for most institutions.

However; if it fits in and you have already had JAVA anyway...it would not hurt to get some experience in it at college prices

I would definitely get some .NET...I am still just using ASP/Jscript/VBscript and it gets the job done (I dabble in PHP in my personal projects). I have had C and C++ training and it made picking up SCHEME (a variant of LISP) very easy.

I reality programming is more about understanding the structure and logic. Learning the syntax is relatively easy once you are coding.

 

[ngvepforever2]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: cyclistca
There still a great deal of legacy COBOL code floating around but not a lot of new development. You better off studying one of the OO languages Like C++, C#, or Java.

Yep, I took a full year of Java already.

That's a good start, if you already took Java, C++ would be easy to pick up. Pointers are easy to comprehend for some people and hard for others but if you try to understand what they are and why they are important you won't have any problem getting it. Cobol, as many others have said, is an old language that I believe is better for you to learn since you are doing MIS, many banks (as the one I work for) still use cobol in their mainframes (I actually work with a lot of cobol programmers although I do Java and Lotus Script). In the end, take cobol if you feel like putting in your resume that have some cobol experience (and if would only matter if you want to do mainframe maintenance)

Regards

ng

 

[jamesbond007]

Neither myself or my friends are looking for a coding job, but we do want to make the most of our time and money in college. I guess in a nutshell, I see it as an added 'ability' come resume/job-hunting time.

I find coding to be extremely boring and monotonous - I love interacting with people and socializing when at all possible. I simply cannot sit behind a computer and punch keys to create a program day in and day out. I have had a lot of fun creating programs and doing homework, but I could never do it for a full-time job.

Here is my final program I made for my last Java class:
http://myweb.cableone.net/twiggy9560/PizzaShop.jar

I hope the URL works for everyone...the program didn't have to be anywhere near as elaborate as I made it. In fact, I added several features that even my instructor found to be new material. He said it was the best he's ever had submitted for the final project.

 

[waggy]

god i took Cobol like 14 years ago. why anyone would want to take it today is beyond me.

 

[Jawo]

I would take C++, or C# if offered. I am an MIS major, and I can tell you that knowing SQL and knowing C++ has been most beneficial of any programming classes.

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: Jawo
I would take C++, or C# if offered. I am an MIS major, and I can tell you that knowing SQL and knowing C++ has been most beneficial of any programming classes.

oh, that's a good point. Knowing SQL would definitely come in handy as an MIS major. But as far as languages go, I guess it's mostly a toss up.

 

[OSX]

They still offer COBOL as a class?

 

[FeuerFrei]

I wrote a few COBOL programs for Square D, a company that makes electrical components. Used embedded SQL statements to pull data from DB2 databases. If you run your programs in a batch environment on a mainframe you will need to know JCL (Job Control Language) as well.
I know 5th/3rd Bank has jobs for COBOL programmer/analysts.

 

[batchusa]

What about advancing your Java programming skills instead of C++/COBOL? Or how about database courses?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: OSX
They still offer COBOL as a class?

yes its also very usefull and it gets me women all the time. i have a shirt that says "cobol programmer!" and women come up to me all the time on it. actually it gets rather irritating when i am with my wife.