No comments about Structured COBOL Programming, Getting Started with Fujitsu COBOL.

2 comments about COBOL Programming Using the .NET Framework.

1. Unless one is from another planet, or hasn't been reading about COBOL for a few years, there is hardly anything new in this book. All the COBOL specific material can be found FREELY at Fujitsu's website or in the Help System for the COBOL for .NET release candidate. The non COBOL stuff is either trivial (Object Model) or out of context (Windows 2000 API).
   In a word, I was expecting new material and bought a compilation.



2. This book provides no value over Fujitsu NetCOBOL. Author uses same examples. Worse, Author provides no additional usefull information.

   Chapter 8 covers Win 2000. This is a total waste since MS .Net uses CLR which runs on 98, ME, NT, 2000, & XP. My interpretation is that Author need some additional pages.

   Bottom Line: Don't purchase this book. I did & wasted [money].

1 comments about COBOL for Dummies Quick Reference.

1. Excellent book, severly let down due to not having any of the COBOL 85 42 Intrinsic functions shown or displayed (e.g. CURRENT-DATE). I am amazed that such things could have been missed from such a good book.

5 comments about Java for the COBOL Programmer (SIGS: Advances in Object Technology).

1. I have been a Cobol programmer for many years now and saw a need to move into the "new" world. I decided to go with Java. I started reading every book I could get my hands on about Java. I have read 14 Java books at all levels from "Hello World" to mastering EJB. Then I found this book. Java for the Cobol Programmer is probably the best book around for learning or advancing your Java skills.....if you have a history with Cobol. This is the first book I have found that recoginizes people other than C++ programmers might be interested in learning Java. I say get this book first read it front to back and absorb it. Then move on to more advanced books, then come back to this book and read it again.

   Best on the market. A must have for those wanting to move to Java.




2. The authors did a fantastic job of explaining similarities and differences between COBOL and JAVA, and even did a decent job of providing a good intro to object-oriented design. The examples, while being simple, are nonetheless well conceived and can easily be related to. I would unconditionally recommend this book to anybody trying to transition from COBOL to JAVA . . . except . . . it's out of date. It's based on the old JAVA 1.1, and there were major changes going to JAVA 1.2 (SWING being the biggy), and we're up to JAVA 1.3 now. Either get another book that's more current or wait for the next edition of this one.



3. I have programmed in COBOL and other 'mainframe' languages for almost 30 years. I have also done some programming on PC's in Access, Visual Basic, FoxPro and Visual FoxPro. About one year ago I became interested in JAVA. I then began to search for a book that did not require you to have C++ experience (which I do not have). Then, one night when I was checking out JAVA books on Amazon, I stumbled over 'JAVA for the COBOL Programmer'. I read the reviews and I decided to purchase it. This book is fantastic. It is extremely easy to read, it explains things very clearly, it constantly gives you examples of the COBOL equalivant, and it does an excellent job of defining all of those crazy JAVA terms. JAVA is very large and complicated, so you will not be a JAVA expert after reading this book, but you will be much better informed about it. I recommend this book to any COBOL programmer that wants to learn JAVA.



4. The only thing I know is that the author, E. Reed Doke is a pretty poor JAVA teacher, so I don't know how he can explain it in a book.



5. A couple of thoughts, while I'm 2/3 through the book:
   - Fully grasping chapters 2 & 3 is essential. I found that simply reading them resulted in little retained info. Going back through them, making detailed notes, took only one afernoon and it really stuck. ymmv

   - Chapter 3 - the intro to Java - contains the fewest COB concepts and code equivalents. I thought it would be interesting to express the class program example as a called COBOL program (they sort of half did it). That example would mentally connect directly and remove some 'mystery' from this whole class business.

   - the chapters on conditional processing, maths, etc show direct relationship to COB syntax.

   - the book comes with a CD with Symantec's Visual Cafe. Be aware - this is a 30 day trial.

   - Not covered in the book (unless it's at the end :) is the whole topic of the JDK and how to compile / run programs. Some other resource is needed in order to exercise the sample code.

No comments about Vs Cobol 2: A Guide for Programmers and Managers.

No comments about DB2 for the COBOL Programmer: Part 2 : An Advanced Course.

1 comments about Visual Basic for Cobol Programmers/Book and Disk.

1. This book was helpful when I took a semester-long course on Visual Basic. I used it while doing the homework assignments. Used it mostly for specific examples and to clarify details in the primary course workbook (particularly when my 25+ years of COBOL thinking kept me from comprehending the VB way to do things). The index and table of contents were adequate for searching for examples and explanations.

No comments about Assembler Language for Fortran, Cobol, and Pl/I Programmers: IBM 370/360.

4 comments about Mastering Cobol.

1. I thank God everyday for Mastering Cobol- software this program has taught me more then I ever learned at the Computer institute. It should be made available at all college book stores



2. I received this program (it is not actually a book) the day before my first test in my Cobol class. I didn't study from my notes or the book, I just used the program, and the next day, the test was cake! Despite a poor professor and an impossible text book, I'm no longer worried about the class. The program is a step-by-step tutorial that uses graphs, colored text, examples, and numerous questions to help you learn. If you miss a question, it reviews that section, making sure you understand it before moving on. It inserts questions in the middle of the tutorial so that if you aren't really paying attention, you will quickly realize it and regain your focus. You will quickly pick up on the syntax of coding as you learn about the structure of a Cobol program, without being asked to simply memorize commands. I highly recommend it. Be sure to use the Memo feature to take notes, it will come in handy.



3. Don't buy it! This is not a book. It has all the material on two disketts. It is very tedious navigating from and to various parts of the "course". It is very difficult to locate the main menu and it lacks a print option. Teach Yourself COBOL in 21 Days by Mo Budlong is a far better buy.



4. This is a Great program, it consists of Slides and Demos. And question pop up just too make sure you are still paying attention. The chapters in Stern and Stern's COBOL book are what this Program is based upon, only thing that i would say this program is missing is more hands on stuff. If it had a option where it talked you through a program from beginning to the end then it would be perfect...its is still a VERY good program to have

No comments about Ims/Vs Dl/I Programming With Cobol Examples (CCD Online Systems Data Processing Series).