COBOL originated in 1959 as a major DoD initiative aimed at achieving a standardized computer language. The language soon became one of the most popular for both military and civilian applications. Although it has lost some of its past glory in recent years, owing to the likes of Ada and C, COBOL is still the language of choice in many computing facilities. While the number of new COBOL programs appears to be declining, many programmers are routinely engaged in maintaining and upgrading existing COBOL code.

This book is specifically intended for a narrow audience: experienced COBOL programmers who need to learn the differences between VS COBOL and VS COBOL II Release3. The title of the book is somewhat misleading--if you are looking for a tutorial or introductory text on VS COBOL II, this book is certainly not for you. On the other hand, if you are familiar with VS COBOL and want to upgrade to VS COBOL II, then you would do well to acquire this book.

The book is written in a friendly, easy-to-read fashion. The conversational style makes it a pleasant learning tool. The author addresses the reader as an instructor talking directly to a student, for example, “I show you the important aspects of these changes here” (p. 168). Important points are printed in italics or punctuated using exclamation marks. The simple, direct language makes it easy to grasp the ideas the author is trying to convey.

An excellent feature, used extensively throughout this text, is the “Try It!” sections, which provide “actual executable programs that demonstrate important features and techniques” (p. 6). The code is well annotated, with associated discussions pointing to relevant aspects that the author wishes to highlight.

If your organization is contemplating moving to VS COBOL II, you will find Appendix G especially noteworthy. In this appendix, the author lays out a comprehensive checklist of 36 steps to facilitate a smooth transition to VS COBOL II. Another useful discussion can be found in Appendix E, in which the author summarizes various features of three PC-based COBOL compilers. A common practice is to initially develop and test COBOL programs on a PC and then upload the source code to a mainframe for the  final  operational implementation. Appendix E discusses the differences between PC-based compilers and VS COBOL II.

While this book may not be of interest to the great majority of computing practitioners, it would serve as a welcome tool for VS COBOL programmers facing the inevitable change to VS COBOL II.