What is a .COB file?
The file extension .COB refers to a COBOL Source Code File. COBOL, which stands for Common Business-Oriented Language, is a programming language that was developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It is primarily used for writing software for business, finance, and administrative systems, and despite being an older language, it is still widely used in many enterprise business applications today.
A .COB file contains the source code, which is the set of written instructions or programs, written in the COBOL language. These files are used by programmers to create or modify applications in COBOL.
To work with .COB files, you need specific software known as a COBOL compiler, which translates the COBOL code into a language that computers can understand. Some of the programs that can open and compile .COB files include: - TinyCOBOL: A lightweight COBOL compiler. - GnuCOBOL: An open-source COBOL compiler that supports various standards of COBOL. - IBM COBOL: A compiler provided by IBM, tailored for their systems. - Alchemy Solutions NetCOBOL: A compiler that allows COBOL applications to run on Windows.
It's important to note that COBOL has several versions, such as COBOL-68, which was the original standard, and COBOL 2002, which includes more modern features. Different compilers may support different versions of COBOL, so you should ensure that you are using a compiler and text editor that are compatible with the version of COBOL used in your .COB files.
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