[aus.followup] Language wanted

jeremy@misadel.oz (Jeremy Begg) (08/29/89)

In article <1960@csadfa.oz>, rap@csadfa.oz (Robert Pearson) writes:
>       We currently teach a course on file access techniques, file processing
> which uses COBOL as a tool.
>       The course is aimed at information processing ; and the following
> course is a database design, building, etc course.
>       One of the aims is to give the students some exposure to programming
> as well as the background for different types of database management systems.
> However although the students have had some exposure to PASCAL they find the
> COBOL a bit of a drag. I would like an alternative.

        What sort of course is this -- are the students enrolled in it
likely to be going out into the commercial world, or is it a "computer
familiarity course" for students not interested in computing as a career?

        If your students are going to be programmers in the "real world" of
commercial programming, they would be best served by staying with COBOL as
many, many sites still use it.  A student who knows COBOL is going to find
it much easier to get a job over one who doesn't.

        Jeremy Begg

  +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | Management Information Systems,  |  E-Mail:  jeremy@misadel.oz    |
  | 125 Dew Street, Thebarton,       |   Phone:  +61 8 3524877 (work) |
  | South Australia 5031             |                                |
  +-------------------------------------------------------------------+