Class help/Book question

[SMAlvarez]

Hello,

I am taking a course in college on COBOL. What we use is the hummingbird software to telnet into our account on the schools server. The server is using or prehaps emulating a IBM 360. So the book we are using is "COBOL for the 21st Century" Eleventh Edition. However I find the book to boring and complicated. So I was thinking of getting a simpler book. So my question is, what would be better, "Cobol for dummies" or "Sams Teach yourself Cobol in 21 days, 3rd edition"? Also would either of these books, work with the ibm 360 compiler we use to telnet in? If so which should I purchase? Or is there a better/simpler book to learn from?

Thanks for the info! A prompt response is appreciated!!

 

[SMAlvarez]

anyone?

 

[fredericofonseca]

Sams in 21 days is normally considered better for novices.
But being on a mainframe environment you will need to worry about other things like JCL's, and for that Murach's may be better, but its not for begginners (

http://www.murach.com/books/mcb2/index.htm)

you may also wish to have a look at

http://www.csis.ul.ie/COBOL/

as it is a full COBOL course.

http://www.infogoal.com/cbd/cbdbks.htm

also has some info on several books.

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

 

[ceh4702]

So is this an environment for emulating MVS or VSE/ESA both can be run on a IBM 360 I think. Sounds like this is VSE/ESA, but it might be MVS which is more expensive. Do you have a database environment for DB2? If you do this is more likely MVS.

We emulate our IBM VSE/ESA Mainframe on an IBM X-SERVER. It is amazing that we had to use a DUAL PIII to keep the MIPS down to a lower level to make the license cheaper. We actually had to buy older technolology just to slow it down. Then the Emulation runs on top of a commercial version of SUSE LINUX.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[ceh4702]

At our school we use an IBM AS400 for teaching COBOL. This is another possible method and it uses COBOL400 which is very similar to standard COBOL.

The main difference is in how you access the files and what kind of file descriptions you are using. A lot of the other parts of standard COBOL are very similar.


COBOL is a standardized Language. Mainframe Cobol tends to be even more standardized.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.