Differences draft 1981 and std. 1985?

For many years, the only source I had for COBOL-85 was the printed
"Draft Proposed Revised X3.23 American National Standard Programming
Language COBOL" of September 1981.

It took about four years to get to the actual new standard of 1985.

Is there any document available somewhere which gives an overview
and which lists the details of the changes between that draft and the
actual voted and agreed standard?

In the 1985 standard, which I now have as PDF, I did not find such
an explanation.


Yours,
Lüko Willms
/--------- L.WILLMS@jpberlin.de -- Alle Rechte vorbehalten --

There *WAS* such a document (or it may have actually been two documents).  I
can't remember the "colors" of the various versions of the draft '85 Standar
d  -
but between the various (major) drafts of the '85 Standard, the changes were
summarized in the "cover letter" sent out to those who commented on the vari
ous
documents.  (I suspect that I have a copy of the "pink" version of the draft
 and
its cover letter somewhere, but don't ask me where.)

Certainly the MAJOR difference was the entire introduction of the "Obsolete"
category (and the items put into it).  "Removal" of such items and their
eventual retention is what (according to most authorities) delayed the '85
Standard. The last significant (???) change that I remember was adding "ALSO
" to
EVALUATE (with multiple selection subjects/objects).

The "paper" archives of J4 were just recently "donated" to University of
Minnesota (I think) but you might be able to contact J4 and ask them if some
one
has those cover letters.  I *doubt* that they were produced electronically (
or
that anyone would have the original electronic text) but they *might* have b
een
scanned by someone.

--
Bill Klein
wmklein <at> ix.netcom.com
"Lueko Willms" <l.willms@jpberlin.de> wrote in message
news:9HQ2SAH9flB@jpberlin-l.willms.jpberlin.de...
>
>   For many years, the only source I had for COBOL-85 was the printed
> "Draft Proposed Revised X3.23 American National Standard Programming
> Language COBOL" of September 1981.
>
>   It took about four years to get to the actual new standard of 1985.
>
>   Is there any document available somewhere which gives an overview
> and which lists the details of the changes between that draft and the
> actual voted and agreed standard?
>
>   In the 1985 standard, which I now have as PDF, I did not find such
> an explanation.
>
>
> Yours,
> Lüko Willms
> /--------- L.WILLMS@jpberlin.de -- Alle Rechte vorbehalten --
>
>