Structured COBOL Programming, Second Edition

Rating:
Summary: MADNESS
Review: "This book was developed specifically for a first course in structured COBOL programming. After completing this book, students should have a firm foundation in the concepts and techniques of structured program design and. ...should be able to solve variety of business-related application problems using COBOL."
I have to use this book for my COBOL course. The book is the mess. The book is for the students who never had any contact with COBOL; well, I don't have that feeling. The authors maybe know COBOL but they are definitely not the people who should teach others how to program with COBOL. They mentioned flowcharting, but they never explained flowcharting properly. In Chapter 2 they start with a large program and they try to explain it. Problem is that after few pages I didn't know what is what. Their approach is not to start with simple short programs that give introduction into programming that should help the student to develop, to learn different parts of program, they start with the max program and it is up to you to understand it or to drop it. In Chapter 3, Excersize 3, they ask the student to design and code a COBOL program that displays....
HELLO!!! You never showed me how to design and code a program and in Chapter 3 you ask me to do something. How to start, where to start?! How to design, how to code?!
Unfortunately, I have to use this book, but I am afraid that I will hate this book and COBOL because of this book.

Rating:
Summary: A must for any COBOL programmer.
Review: COBOL is a mature programming language and this is one of the best books and a superb textbook. Structured Cobol Programming by Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman and Roy O. Foreman was my book of choice as a COBOL instructor. The chapters are well planned with steady progress with very good examples. Although new edition is required to cover COBOL Functions this book still remains at the top of my list. As an independent COBOL consultant I find this book a good reference.