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COBOL-like programming language for mobile computing

Swype works better with letters than with numbers or symbols
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Like many new smart phone users, I've found Swype® to have a delightfully rapid and satisfying learning curve, and must admit that I find Swyping more fun than typing. One area where I find the laptop/desktop (and its full-size QWERTY keyboard) far preferable to the phone/tablet is coding. I don't know whether there are coders who do a lot of coding on touchscreen devices. Perhaps a praxis or repertoire of techniques (or app, BTW, why is Product: Cell Phone: App not in the hb category list?) has already been developed. Anyway, the first thing I noticed about Swype is that alpha characters are within noticeably easier reach than numeric or other characters, so perhaps a new programming language is in order; one in which algorithms can be expressed in an alpha-heavy assortment of characters.
LoriZ, Feb 27 2012

The coming war on general computation http://www.kurzweil...general-computation
The problem is twofold: first, there is no known general-purpose computer that can execute all the programs we can think of except the naughty ones; second, general-purpose computers have replaced every other device in our world. [LoriZ, Feb 29 2012]

Micro Focus COBOL for Android http://community.mi...0_COBOL_and_Android
Recently we’ve demonstrated Visual COBOL running on Android devices in several forums, including the R3 launch in January 2011. It’s one of the things that seem to fire the imagination of customers and staff alike, and we’ve had lots of requests for more information. [LoriZ, Mar 01 2012, last modified Mar 08 2012]

3 open source projects for modern COBOL development http://opensource.c...pment#comment-84106
Thankfully, using COBOL in modern times does not require tracking down legacy hardware. There are several tools available that make using COBOL on modern computers as straightforward as using other programming languages. [LoriZ, Oct 19 2015]

It’s time to stop programming for the teletype era http://devblog.avdi...eyond-the-teletype/
Try to write a program on your phone. Then imagine what it would take for the experience to not suck. Do not accept “it’s just the wrong medium” as a final answer. Ask why it is impractical to program on machine that is able to sense your touch, hear and interpret your voice, watch your expressions, feel your movements. And imagine what it would take to make communicating your intent to such a device feel effortless instead. [LoriZ, Nov 01 2015]

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       Excellent, while you're at it, why not throw away all those bulky and inefficient silicon ICs and replace them with thermionic valves …?   

       [-]
8th of 7, Feb 27 2012
  

       [8th_of_7] yeah, this'd be like going back to the days when people still used SQL.
mouseposture, Feb 27 2012
  

       //back to the days when people still used SQL// erm... did something happen while I was out?
zen_tom, Feb 27 2012
  

       [zen_tom] sorry, shouldda used a <sarcasm> tag.
mouseposture, Feb 27 2012
  

       CoBOL typed in on a mobile phone sounds as much fun as C inputted with a stylus and character recognition software.
FlyingToaster, Feb 27 2012
  

       If I understand [LoriZ] correctly, the only COBOL feature to be inherited is the set of commonly used characters; I'm not in total agreement on that score, but I will support anything that allows the phone to be programmed on-the-phone. It's really a computer, and what is a non-programmable computer?   

       [8th] - look at it this way - there are two common forms of small household pe[s]ts, right? And the major difference is trainable/untrainable...
lurch, Feb 27 2012
  

       What might truly be interesting is a flexible visual programming environment that takes advantage of both touch and voice interfaces. Given that programming languages have limited grammars, voice might work well, and touch should make creating relationships and schemas quite straightforward.
theircompetitor, Feb 27 2012
  

       Yes, but that's all just pandering to the users.   

       What's wrong with purely command-driven text based OS's ? They're powerful, compact and efficent.   

       Doing what you suggest will merely encourage the proles to use technology, and then where will it end ? You'll be suggesting that women be taught to read, next ...
8th of 7, Feb 27 2012
  

       Yes, lurch, the key feature being when the language keywords are also found in the English dictionary. Stacking inputs and outputs in tight columns, not so much. And of course drop the PICTURE galleries. To your question "what is a non-programmable computer?" The war against general-purpose computing, that's what.   

       theircompetitor, yes, that would be truly interesting, but I suspect that there will still be underlying code somewhere or another. That's the level I would be interested in accessing. It takes all types. I'm getting so Swype gives me the desired verbiage. Voice recognition, not so much.
LoriZ, Feb 29 2012
  

       The lords of Cobal were mentioned in the old Battle Star Galactica series with Lorne Green. Python and Java seem more popular for programmers and things like applications.
travbm, Nov 01 2015
  
      
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