[Info-vax] Programming languages on VMS

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 1/24/2018 8:59 AM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> On 01/24/2018 08:42 AM, Paul Sture wrote:
>> There is of course lots of existing Fortran 77 code, but Fortran 77
>> apparently still has a distinct performance advantage over later
>> versions, so it is used for new programs as well.
> 
> Just like I said about COBOL.  It isn't that languages like COBOL and
> Fortran are decreasing, it is that there are dozens of new languages
> du jour that people with little knowledge of IT think are cool and so
> they write billions of lines of crap skewing the scale against serious
> languages.  Or do you think "Candy Crush Saga" and "Forge of Empires"
> constitute serious IT?

> I have pointed out in the past a couple of the largest IT Systems in
> use today that are both in COBOL.  And, let's not forget Mumps (now
> known as ANSI M) that may be the most used language of them all.

When discussing Cobol (or should I use COBOL) usage then I think it is
important to distinguish between:
A) applications in production
B) enhancements of existing applications
C) new applications

My guess is that:
* #A is rather large - there are still a lot of Cobol code out
   there and a large part of that is running important stuff
   (important=money related) - various CIO's may want to get
   off Cobol, but the risk and interruption of a conversion
   projects is not attractive
* #B exist - it is sort of a consequence of A - if you have
   an important application it may be necessary to modify it
   due to new requirements - but the majority of new functionality
   is typical added to other systems in front of or behind the
   Cobol application
* #C may exist, but I think it is extremely rare - for brand new
   stuff usually other languages are chosen

So my guess is that:
* #A is rather stable
* #B has decreased over the years
* #C has dropped to almost nothing

Arne

PS: Mumps/M is special because its usage is extremely centered
     around a single domain.