Online Cobol Programming Course

Cobol, also known as COmmon Business-Oriented Language, is a programming language that has been widely used in the business industry for decades. Due to its longevity and reliability, there is a continued demand for professionals with Cobol skills. With the rise of online learning platforms, it has become easier for individuals to acquire Cobol knowledge and skills from the comfort of their homes. In this article, we will explore some of the best Cobol courses available online, providing an overview of their content and features to help learners make informed decisions.

Here’s a look at the Best Cobol Courses and Certifications Online and what they have to offer for you!

Online Cobol Programming Course

1. Mainframe: The Complete COBOL Course From Beginner To Expert by Sandeep Kumar (Udemy) (Our Best Pick)

The Mainframe: The Complete COBOL Course From Beginner To Expert course is offered by instructor Sandeep Kumar. The course aims to help individuals become experts in COBOL programming by coding and running COBOL programs with JCL. The course also covers basic TSO/ISPF operations. The course is one of the best-rated and reviewed COBOL courses on Udemy, and offers a COBOL certification that can be showcased on a CV.The course is suitable for individuals with all levels of experience in COBOL, from beginners to experts. The course teaches COBOL programming from scratch to an advanced level. COBOL programming is a must-have skill for those seeking to build a career in mainframe. The course comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and the instructor personally answers all questions and doubts from students. The content of the course is updated regularly, and while CICS is not included in the course, it covers all aspects of COBOL programming.The course covers all aspects of COBOL programming, from the introduction and history of COBOL to data types, structures, and various level clauses. The course offers a complete demonstration of executing a program and covers how to compile and execute a program with ease. All four divisions of COBOL are illustrated, edited, documented, and defined, and most programs are coded, explained, tested, and debugged in front of students. The course covers basic details of TSO/ISPF and JCL, and multiple programs have been coded, assembled, and aligned to suit the theory part covered in the course.

2. COBOL curso completo: Empieza a programar ¡Ya! by Fernando Toledo (Udemy)

The course titled COBOL curso completo: Empieza a programar ¡Ya! is focused on providing learners with the knowledge and skills to start programming in COBOL as soon as possible. According to Compuware analysis, over 220 billion lines of COBOL code are currently in use, with an annual addition of 5 billion lines. The course instructors aim to teach COBOL programming in a guided and easy-to-understand manner.

The course covers all four divisions of COBOL programming in detail. Learners will gain hands-on experience in writing programs that use sequential files, indexed files, tables, SQL statements, reports, internal tables, and SORT. The instructors will also teach structured programming techniques for developing programs. The course mainly focuses on COBOL programming for IBM Mainframe, but learners can use the editor on any other computer. Additionally, learners can compile and execute their COBOL programs online by using the same editor used in IBM Mainframe. The instructors will guide learners on how to download the free software that enables the compilation and execution of COBOL programs on a PC running Windows.

The instructors are sharing this course because the current COBOL specialists are aged between 50 and 65 years and are about to retire. Young professionals need to continue the work of these COBOL specialists. However, the younger generation tends to have little or no experience with Mainframe systems since they focus more on distributed information, the web, and mobile technologies. This gap in knowledge and experience can lead to a loss of intellectual capital and a lack of experience for IT teams in companies that still use this technology. The instructors hope that the course will be useful for young professionals who are aware of the market demand for Mainframes and will contribute to the growth of IT areas.

3. Cobol learning made easy by Naveen Kumar A (Udemy)

Course Title: Cobol Learning Made Easy

Course Instructors: Naveen Kumar A

Course Short Description: This course teaches the Cobol programming language, which is extensively used in mainframe systems.

Course Long Description:

This course is specifically designed to teach the Cobol programming language. It is a beginner-level course that covers the basics of Cobol programming. The objective of the course is to help learners develop a solid foundation in Cobol programming, which can contribute to better job prospects and career growth.

The course is structured as follows:

– Introduction: This section provides an overview of the course and what learners can expect to gain from it.

– Theoretical Section: This section covers the fundamental concepts of Cobol programming, such as data types, control structures, and procedures.

– Programming Section: In this section, learners will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the theoretical section by working on practical coding exercises.

– Conclusion: The course ends with a conclusion that summarizes what was learned and provides guidance on where to go next in Cobol programming.

Cobol is a crucial language in mainframe development, and having a strong foundation in this language can help learners become proficient in mainframe development. This course is an excellent tutorial for those who would like to learn how to code in Cobol.

Enrolling in this course is the first step towards becoming a Cobol development master.

4. Aprenda COBOL | Aprenda a Programar COBOL do ABSOLUTO ZERO! by Aprenda COBOL (Udemy)

The course Aprenda COBOL | Aprenda a Programar COBOL do ABSOLUTO ZERO! offers instruction in programming COBOL from scratch, using TSO (Mainframe) and OpenCOBOL IDE. The course is part of the Curso de Formação de Programadores em COBOL (CFP) and is intended to help individuals become Junior COBOL Programmers even if they have no previous coding experience. The course covers programming logic and syntax, and offers practice coding challenges at the end of each module. The instructors emphasize that with this course, students will be prepared to enter the IT field and have the opportunity to work in a scarce market (COBOL programming) with high salaries.

The course covers several topics related to programming including structured programming logic, the fundamentals of the COBOL language, advanced algorithms, sequential and indexed file handling, matrix manipulation, and more. The course promises to teach with a simple, rich and easy-to-understand didactics.

At the end of the course, students who have no previous programming knowledge will come out as junior programmers, with the potential to earn an estimated salary of R$ 3,000.00. The course offers both short and long descriptions, with the long description going into more detail about the course content and the potential benefits of learning COBOL.

The course is divided into several sections, including Bem vindo!, Avisos Importantes, Tutoriais, Aulas – M1, Aulas – M2, Aulas – M3, Aulas – M4, Extras 3 – Empregabilidade, Projeto Final, and Manuais. Interested individuals can contact the course instructors via email to learn more about the complete formation. Overall, the course promises to be a valuable investment in one’s success and career.

5. Aprenda a Programar em COBOL by Emanuel Costa (Udemy)

Course Title: Aprenda a Programar em COBOL

Course Instructors: Emanuel Costa

Course Short Description: This course aims to teach COBOL programming using the OpenCobolIDE compiler, with a focus on practical applications. It was created to address the lack of qualified professionals to maintain legacy COBOL systems, as well as to serve as a resource for current programmers interested in learning COBOL.

Course Long Description: Many technology companies struggle to find qualified professionals to maintain their legacy COBOL systems. This has resulted in high salaries for those who possess the necessary skills. On the other hand, there are also programmers of newer programming languages who are interested in learning COBOL. To address the shortage of qualified professionals and meet the demand for COBOL programming skills, this course was created as a comprehensive introduction to COBOL programming from scratch.

The course will cover the practical aspects of COBOL programming, without delving into mainframes. The OpenCobolIDE compiler will be used, which is a free and readily available option for Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.

Course Content and Sections: The course will be divided into two sections, beginning with an introduction to COBOL programming, followed by a section on file manipulation.

6. Mainframe – COBOL DB2 – Basic to Advance Level by Vijay Kumar (Udemy)

The Mainframe – COBOL DB2 – Basic to Advance Level Course is a comprehensive training program that provides complete COBOL DB2 training, from queries to programming. The course is designed to explain real-time concepts in a simple way and is suitable for students or professionals who want to start a career in mainframe development or upgrade their skills.

The instructor for this course is Vijay Kumar, who has tried his best to cover all different topics that are being used in real-time. The course is intended for all levels, including students who have just graduated or professionals who want to refresh or upgrade their skill set in mainframe development.

The course covers various topics, including Introduction to Mainframe, DB2 from Scratch to Advanced, SQL Queries, QMF Tool, Cobol DB2 Programming, Real Time Examples, and Practical Oriented sessions to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

The course is structured in a way that makes it feel like a classroom session, and learners will enjoy the journey of learning the Mainframe Course within a couple of days. The instructor is available to address all queries, provide support, and guide learners throughout the course.

The goal of the course is to teach the Mainframe in a very simple way, and learners will have access to course content and sections such as Introduction to DB2, COBOL – DB2 Application Programming, DB2 – CURSOR, NEW MODULE – DB2 SQL – PRACTICAL – SPUFI, ADVANCED TOPICS – LATEST, among others.

7. Curso completo de COBOL y JCL by Adrián Domingo (Udemy)

The Curso completo de COBOL y JCL is a new Spanish-language video course that teaches COBOL programming from the comfort of your own home. The course is designed to be the most comprehensive COBOL video course available online, with detailed explanations of syntax and step-by-step programming examples. Prior to starting the course, students are taught how to install a Mainframe MVS on their computer in order to program within it. The course covers the basics of a host system, TSO, and its management and also teaches common editing and file management commands.

The course covers the development of COBOL programs and JCL executables, with step-by-step instruction on different types of COBOL programs that can be coded, starting with the basic Hello World program and gradually progressing to more complex programming structures. The course also teaches how to edit and manipulate different types of files from JCL, utilizing popular utilities. This allows students to begin coding COBOL programs that involve file input and output.

The course is not free, but it is priced at the lowest possible rate due to the extensive time and effort put into developing it. The course includes more than 50 classes, student email support, and downloadable materials. However, the instructor is open to providing free access to the course for those who cannot afford it due to exceptional circumstances. This is to ensure that everyone who is interested in learning COBOL can register and complete the course.

The course is divided into several sections, starting with an introduction, followed by the installation of the working environment and TSO/ISPF commands. The course then delves into COBOL language and statements, batch COBOL executions, and programs with sequential input/output files. The course concludes with communication between programs via the CALL statement, communication of data through the LINKAREA, and a final test to obtain a course certificate.

Students can contact the instructor via email for any questions or suggestions related to the course.

8. Learn Mainframe COBOL – Beginner to Expert by Vijay Kumar (Udemy)

The Learn Mainframe COBOL – Beginner to Expert course, taught by Vijay Kumar, aims to help students learn the mainframe like a professional. The course covers topics related to mainframe, ZOS, and COBOL, starting from basics and advancing to more complex concepts. The course is suitable for students, freshers, and career professionals who want to refresh or upgrade their skills in mainframe. The course is designed to be practical and easy to understand, with a focus on real-time applications.

The course covers a range of topics, including the features and types of COBOL, coding sheets, language structure, identification and environment divisions, variable declaration, data types and variables, level numbers, data types practical, groups and elementary data types, 77 level numbers, input and output terminal, simple move, group move, corresponding move, reference modification, string, unstring, arithmetic operations, editing characters, 66 level number, simple if, logical operation and or, next and continue, evaluate program, level number 88 condition, redefines memory, comp 1 and comp 2, comp3, perform introduction, perform inline example, perform outline example, difference between inline vs outline perform, occurs – arrays 1D, occurs arrays 2D and 3D, search, search all, subscript vs index, search and search all, complete overview of files concept, filler concept, file read, file write, update, copy book, call, call vs copy, main vs sub, sort and merge, sort and merge programs, inspect, ESDS file read and write, and KSDS read and write.

The course is intended to be accessible to students at all levels, from those who are new to mainframe to those who are experienced professionals seeking to expand their skill set. The course is designed to be practical and easy to understand, with a focus on real-time applications.

9. Learn Introductory Programming With COBOL by Craig Kaercher (Udemy)

Course Title: Learn Introductory Programming With COBOLCourse Instructors: Craig KaercherCourse Short Description: Sixty Years And Going StrongThis course provides an introduction to programming using the COBOL language. While introductory programming concepts are typically taught using other languages, COBOL is still in use today. The course follows the typical programming progression, starting with software setup and ‘Hello World’ programs, moving on to data input and output, data types, and common programming structures such as if/then statements, loops, and tables/arrays. The course also covers the important concept of breaking up programs into sections/functions. COBOL’s use of Linkage Sections to accomplish the same thing as parameters and arguments in other languages is also explained. Additionally, the course covers the use of COBOL on the mainframe and provides an example of a COBOL report program. Course Content and Sections:- Introduction- More On The OpenCOBOL IDE And Running Programs- COBOL Program Structure- Other COBOL Concepts- Basic Input And Output From The Screen- Conditionals i.e.

10. Introduction to COBOL by Laureano Boira Radiu (Udemy)

The course titled Introduction to COBOL is designed to teach programming in COBOL language and Mainframe from scratch in an accelerated manner. This course is suitable for computer scientists, engineers, Mainframe technicians, and professionals in the sector who want to learn COBOL. The course instructor is Laureano Boira Radiu, an industrial engineer who has been programming and teaching about mainframes for years. The course content is compressed into approximately one hour of video lectures and practical exercises. Learners will use a software called OpenCobolIDE (free) to program in COBOL.

The course begins with an introduction to COBOL and its relevance in today’s world. COBOL is a programming language that facilitates business-oriented operations and is used by 70% of banks worldwide. The course covers the COBOL Divisions, namely the Identification Division, Environment Division, Data Division, and Procedure Division. The instructor also guides learners on analyzing the code and its logic. The learners will be able to develop a complete practical program in COBOL by the end of the course.

The course is suitable for beginners with no prior knowledge of COBOL. The instructor explains all the concepts from scratch and in an easily understandable way. The practical nature of the course ensures that the learners can put into practice what they learn in the lectures. Additionally, the instructor will be available to answer any questions that learners may have in the shortest possible time.

In conclusion, the Introduction to COBOL course is designed to provide an accelerated and practical way to learn COBOL programming language. It is suitable for beginners who want to develop a fundamental understanding of COBOL and its relevance in business-oriented operations. The course content covers all the essential topics, and the instructor is available to provide assistance whenever required.