Re: [open-cobol-list] Anybody use emacs to code COBOL?

[vince coen]

Hi Duke;

On Thursday 06 August 2009, you wrote:

> > On Thursday 06 August 2009, Duke Normandin wrote:
> > > > EMACS vs. VI is almost as old as Unix. I use Vim (Gvim)  because I
> > > > learned VI way back when.  But as they say in an even older
> > > > language "De gustibus non disputandum est."
> > >
> > > I also took 4 years of Latin in H.S. I guess I've just joined an "old
> > > farts" club - with Latin,
> >
> > Not so much of "old farts", dont know about you but I'm only 62 and came
> > into programming in 1961.
>
> I'm 62 as well... What were you - a child programming prodigy? From
> '65 to '69 I was in the U.S.M.C -- Viet Nam '66 to '68 (2 tours). I
> joined up, I was barely 18. Hell I barely knew that computers existed
> back then.

I started working on a IBM 1401 at 13 (1960/1) as an operator after a few 
months starting programming for it in machine code, then assembler then Cobol 
some of which was front-ended into a 7094 which had 20 odd tape decks.  As 
this machine was in a shop type window very near London's west end it had a 
lot of pedestrians walking by all day til very late at night and I seem to 
recall my party trick when I had a bunch watching us was one would raise our 
hands as a musical conductor (sort of) and the other would press the unload 
button on the console and all the tape drives would unload with the large 
heads all opening at the same time.  Always got a clap.


>
> > > COBOL, kicking around; and me hacking
> > > M(umps) code as well. ;))
> >
> > Have not seen that in 30 yrs or so. Didnt know it was still in use let
> > alone the hardware still working.
>
> You bet! The _entire_ VA hospital/patient_records system is _still_
> running under VISTA/M(umps). I can you the URLs for 2 free M(umps)
> implementations, if and when you are ever interested.

and I thought the UK National Health Service had some old kit, but not that 
old.

>
> > > I use VIM as well. I have nothing against it, really. How is it as a
> > > COBOL programming environment?
> >
> > VIM is ok, but I use cream over it instead but use kate normally as the
> > editor
>
> How different is cream/VIM from GVIM?

Cream has  a very strong GUI fromt end, a lot better than GVIM but hey 
load 'em both and try each. If you dont like any just uninstall, for the cost 
of a few seconds downloading them from the distro archives or mirrors etc. 
Its not that it cost any money!

Thats the beauty of Linux.

Vince

PS I have loaded up for both a syntax highlighter for kate and vim but I 
normally turn it off as it gets in my way but there again I have been 
programming for a while.

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