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mainframe

computer
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mainframe, digital computer designed for high-speed data processing with heavy use of input/output units such as large-capacity disks and printers. Mainframes have been used for such applications as payroll computations, accounting, business transactions, information retrieval, airline seat reservations, and scientific and engineering computations. Mainframe systems, with remote “dumb” terminals, have been displaced in many applications by client-server architecture.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.
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COBOL
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computer chip. computer. Hand holding computer chip. Central processing unit (CPU). history and society, science and technology, microchip, microprocessor motherboard computer Circuit Board
Computers and Technology Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Programming computer abstract
Influential Computer Programming Languages
Internet http://www blue screen. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, media news television, crowd opinion protest, In the News 2009, breaking news
Who Invented the Internet?
Technical insides of a desktop computer
5 Components of Information Systems
Abstract vector hi speed internet technology background
History of Technology Timeline
Discover
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COBOL

computer language
Also known as: Common Business-Oriented Language
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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Last Updated: • Article History
In full:
Common Business-Oriented Language
Key People:
Grace Hopper

COBOL, high-level computer programming language, one of the first widely used languages and for many years the most popular language in the business community. It developed from the 1959 Conference on Data Systems Languages, a joint initiative between the U.S. government and the private sector. COBOL was created to fulfill two major objectives: portability (ability of programs to be run with minimum modification on computers from different manufacturers) and readability (ease with which a program can be read like ordinary English). Although COBOL’s popularity declined beginning in the 1990s, many large organizations, such as banks and government agencies, still used the language in the early 21st century.

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