University of
Minnesota Libraries. Charles Babbage Institute. [cbi]
Conference on Data Systems Languages
Conference on Data
Systems Languages records
1959-1987
26 boxes (24.5
cubic feet)
Collection contains
minutes, correspondence, reports, documentation for Nice Standard Control
Language (NICOLA), the Journal of Development, and other publications from
several CODASYL committees and task groups. Most of the collection consists of
photocopies.
CBI 11
English
Administrative Information
Acquisition:
The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute in 1986-1987
by Jan Prokop, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Thomas Harris, in 1991 by Thomas
E. Rice, and in 1996 by Charles W. Bachman.
Access to materials:
Access to the collection is unrestricted.
Copyright:
The Charles Babbage Institute holds the copyright to all materials in
the collection, except for items covered by a prior copyright (such as
published materials). Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair
use provisions of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).
Preferred Citation:
Conference on Data Systems Languages Records, 1959-1990, (CBI 11),
Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Arrangement of Collection
The materials in this collection are arranged chronologically into the
following groups:
- Common business oriented language (COBOL) committee,
1959-1988
- Common operating system command language committee,
1971-1981
- Data base task group, 1969-1971
- Data description language committee, 1972-1985
- End user facility task group, 1974
- End user function committee, 1974-1983
- Executive committee, 1959-1988
- File processing task group, 1974-1980
- Forms Interface Management Systems Committee, 1988-1990
- Fortran-Data base processing facility committee,
1974-1980
- Intermediate Range task force, 1959
- Intermediate Range task force II, 1959
- Nice standard control language (NICOLA), 1979
- Object-Oriented COBOL task group, 1990
- Planning committee, 1972-1973
- Programming language committee, 1965-1987
- Screen management committee, 1985
- Screen management task group, 1979-1985
- Storage structure task group, 1974
- Stored data definition and translation task group, 1974
- Systems committee, 1972-1982
- Systems group, 1962
- Technical committee, 1975
With the exception of NICOLA, each group represents a specific
committee or task group of CODASYL.
Historical Note
Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL) was a volunteer
organization to promote more effective data systems analysis, design, and
implementation. Its membership consisted of individuals from industry and
government involved in data processing activity. The organization was formed in
1959 to guide the development of a standard programming language that could be
used on many computers. This effort led to the development of COBOL.
Scope and Content Note
Records in the collection include minutes, reports, correspondence,
and, often, the Journal of Development relevant to the work of that specific
committee. Most of the collection consists of photocopies. Publications related
to the work of CODASYL are included, particularly those relating to COBOL as
well as relevant standards publications.
In some cases, there are chronological overlaps as the records from
different sources were processed at different times and contain variant
material.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog
of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these
headings.
Conference on
Data Systems Languages.
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. COBOL Language Committee
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Common Operating System Command Language Committee
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Data Base Task Group
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Data Description Language Committee
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. End User Facility Task Group
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Storage Structure Task Group
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Stored Data Definition and Translation Task Group
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. End User Function Committee
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Executive Committee
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. File Processing Task Group
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. FORTRAN Data Base Committee
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Planning Committee
Conference on Data Systems
Languages. Programming Language Committee
Project NICOLA
COBOL (Computer program
language)
COBOL (Computer program
language)--Standards
Computer
industry--History--Sources
DDL (Computer program
language)
Electronic data
processing--Standards
FORTRAN (Computer program
language)
Programming languages
(Computers)
NICOLA (Computer program
language)
Box and Folder List
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Common business oriented language (COBOL) committee,
1959-1988
25
1-2
Draft Specifications for a Common Business Oriented
Language (Short Range Task Force),
1959
25
3
Initial Specifications for a Common Business Oriented
Language (Short Range Task Force),
1960
25
4
Revised Specifications for a Common Business Oriented
Language,
1961
25
5
COBOL edition 1965,
1965
25
9
) COBOL edition 1965 with revision to 1968 [Japanese
translation]
1968
3
1-11
Minutes and Correspondence,
1966-1968
25
17
Fundamentals of COBOL [U.S. Navy Programmers Reference
manual],
1968
21
11
Journal of Development 1968,
1969
22
11
COBOL 1968,
1969
21
12
Journal of Development 1969,
April 1970
3
12
"Formal Definition of the Syntax of COBOL,"
1970
21
13-14
Journal of Development 1970,
December 1970 revision
21
15
Journal of Development 1970,
July 1971 revision
3
13-14
Journal of Development,
1971
3
17-19
Minutes and Correspondence,
1971-1976
22
6
Specification for Machine Independent COBOL [NAVSHIPS],
ca. 1972
26
1-2
Journal of Development,
July 1972
21
16-17
Journal of Development 1970,
November 1972 revision
24
5
Machine Independent COBOL [presentation by Rice],
1973
22
10
Proposed COBOL standard,
January 1974
22
7-9
COBOL standard,
1974
21
18-19
Journal of Development 1973,
September 1975 revision
25
10-11
Journal of Development 1976,
October 1976 revisions
25
12
Draft proposed American National Standard Minimum
COBOL,
November 1976
20
1-2
Journal of Development 1976,
August and December 1977
revisions
3
20
Constitution of COBOL,
1977
4
1-18
Minutes and Correspondence,
1977-1978
3
15
"A Revised Communication Facility for CODASYL COBOL,"
1978
20
3-4
Journal of Development 1978,
April 1980 revisions
5
1-17
Minutes and Correspondence,
1978-1981
6
1-2
Journal of Development,
1981
6
3-4
Minutes and Correspondence,
1981
6
5
By-laws of CODASYL,
1981
6
6-14
Minutes and Correspondence,
1981-1982
6
15
COBOL Constitution,
1983
6
16
Minutes and Correspondence,
1983
6
17
Non COBOL-Committee Member Proposals,
1983
7
1-18
Minutes and Correspondence,
1983-1985
20
5-6
Journal of Development,
1984
20
11
Correspondence,
1986-1990
20
13-16
Minutes,
1986-1992
22
14
COBOL85 for Programmers,
1988
20
7-9
Journal of Development,
1988
3
16
Minutes and Correspondence,
n. d.
Common Operating System Command Language Committee,
1971-1981
8
1-3
Operating Systems Command Language,
1971
8
4-12
Minutes and Correspondence,
1976-1979
9
1-5
Minutes and Correspondence,
1979-1981
Journal of Development
9
6
Draft 0.2
9
7
Draft 0.5
9
8
Version 1.0
9
9
Version 1.1
9
10
Version 1.2
21
8
Version 1.3
9
11
Version 1.4
9
12
Version 1.5
21
9
Version 1.6b
21
10
Version 1.9
9
13
Version 2.0
22
14
Version 2.2 [Japanese translation only]
9
14
Version 3.0
9
15
CODASYL Newsletter,
1973-1978
9
16
CODASYL Newsletter,
1972-1981
Data Base Task Group,
1969-1971
25
6
Report,
1969
9
7
Report,
1971
25
13
BCS October 71 Conference on April 71 Report,
1971
25
14
Olle, T. William, "An assessment of how the CODASYL Data
Base Task Group Proposal meets the GUIDE-SHARE requirements,"
April 1972
Data Description Language Committee,
1972-1985
26
11
COBOL Mass Storage Specifications,
1970
10
1-11
Minutes and Correspondence,
1972-1982
25
8
Journal of Development,
1973
25
26
Journal of Development,
1973
25
24-25
Frank A. Manola, DDLC Working Papers,
1973-79
25
27-28
Meeting material and reports,
1973
Labeled DDLC/DBLTG
25
23
Revised Section 3,
15 Jan. 1974
25
22
Minutes and reports,
24 January 1974
26
7-9
Philips Data Systems, Introduction to data base
techniques, PHOLAS Sub-schema DDL and DML, Introduction to PHOLAS, PHOLAS
Schema DDL and SSL, An Application of the CODASYL-DBTG proposal,
1973-1974
26
10
Unidata, CODASYL Data Base Management System,
1974
PHOLAS
21
7
Journal of Development,
1978
26
6
Rob Gerritsen et al, "Physical Design of a CODASYL Data
Base,
circa 1981
10
12
Journal of Development,
1981
10
13
DDLC-DBAWG Subcommittee Minutes and Correspondence,
1981-1985
End User Facility Task Group,
1974
25
19
Tasking Statement and Minutes,
1973-1974
End User Function Committee,
1974-1983
11
1
Minutes and Correspondence,
1974-1975
11
2
Task Group Minutes and Correspondence,
1974-1975
11
3-6
Minutes and Correspondence,
1976-1980
11
7
Journal of Development,
1980
11
8-9
Minutes and Correspondence,
1980-1983
11
10
Journal of Development,
1983
Executive Committee,
1959-1988
1
1-20
Minutes and correspondence,
1959-1975
2
9-17
Minutes and correspondence,
1962-1966
22
23
Lists (mailing, membership),
ca. 1972
22
24
Newsletter,
1972-1976
24
8
Executive Committee Biographies,
1973
22
22
Newsletter topics,
1974
24
11
Newsletter correspondence,
1974-1975
2
8
Correspondence with John L. Jones,
1975-1980
24
4
Executive Secretary's notebook,
1976-1978
2
1-7
Minutes and correspondence,
1976-1982
22
18
Constitution and Executive Committee bylaws,
1977
24
6-7
Constitution and Bylaws,
1987
22
16
CODASYL 20th Anniversary meeting,
1979
24
10
Correspondence,
1976
24
14
Correspondence,
1977
24
12
Correspondence,
1978
24
9
Correspondence,
1979
24
13
Correspondence,
1981
24
2
Correspondence,
1981-1985
23
1
Minutes and correspondence,
March 1983
23
2
Minutes and correspondence,
June 1983
23
4
Minutes and correspondence,
December 1983
23
5
Minutes and correspondence,
March 1984
23
6
Minutes and correspondence,
September 1984
23
7
Minutes and correspondence,
December 1984
22
19
Minutes and correspondence,
1984-1986
23
8
Minutes and correspondence,
March 1985
23
9
Minutes and correspondence,
September 1985
23
10
Minutes and correspondence,
December 1985
24
3
Correspondence with Computer Museum re: COBOL Tombstone,
1985
23
11
Minutes and correspondence,
September 1986
23
12
Minutes and correspondence,
November 1986
23
13
Minutes and correspondence,
December 1986
22
21
Minutes and correspondence,
March 1986
22
20
Minutes and correspondence,
June 1986
20
12
Minutes and attachments,
1986-1987
23
14
Minutes and correspondence,
March 1987
23
15
Minutes and correspondence,
September 1987
22
17
Minutes and correspondence,
December 1987
24
1
Minutes and correspondence,
March 1988
File Processing Task Group,
1974-1980
2
11-12
File Processing Task Group,
1974-1980
2
13
Journal of Development,
1980
Forms Interface Management Systems Committee,
1988-1990
21
1-2
Journal of Development,
28 June 1988
21
3
Subset FIMS Journal of Development,
7 February 1990
21
4-5
Journal of Development,
26 November 1990
Fortran-Data Base Processing Facility Committee,
1974-1980
2
14-16
Minutes and Correspondence,
1984-1981
2
17
Journal of Development (Versions 1.3 and
1.4)
2
18
Journal of Development (Versions 1.5 and
1.6)
2
19
Journal of Development,
1980
Intermediate Range Task Force,
1959
22
4
Minutes,
8-9 October 1959
Intermediate Range Task Force II,
1959
22
5
Minutes,
14 October 1959
Nice Standard Control Language (NICOLA),
1979
12
1-3
Explanation of Nicola,
1979
Object-Oriented COBOL Task Group (OOCTG),
1990
20
10
Minutes,
1990
Planning Committee,
1972-1973
12
4
Minutes and Correspondence,
1972-1973
Programming Language Committee,
1965-1987
12
5-16
Minutes and Correspondence,
1969-1971
12
17
Database Task Group Report,
1971
12
18
Minutes and Correspondence,
1971
13
1-17
Minutes and Correspondence,
1971-1973
22
1-3
Straw votes,
1971-1974
14
1-15
Minutes and Correspondence,
1973-1974
15
1-15
Minutes and Correspondence,
1975-
16
1-11
Proposals 68000-73009,
1965-1973
17
1-14
Proposals 73010-77068,
1973-1977
Screen Management Committee,
1985
21
6
Screen Management System Journal of Development,
1 July 1985
Screen Management Task Group,
1979-1985
18
1-6
Minutes and Correspondence,
1979-1982
18
7
Journal of Development,
1982
18
3-13
Minutes and Correspondence,
1982-1984
18
14
Minutes and Correspondence,
undated
19
1-2
Journal of Development,
1985
Storage Structure Task Group,
1974
26
3
Meeting material and working papers,
1974
Stored Data Definition and Translation Task Group,
1974
26
4
Meeting material and reports,
1974
26
5
Minutes,
1974
Systems Committee,
1972-1982
22
12
Survey of Generalized Data Base Management Systems,
May 1969
22
13
Feature Analysis of Data Base Management Systems,
May 1971
19
3-12
Minutes and Correspondence,
1972-1982
25
19
EUFTG Minutes,
1974
Sent to Systems Committee also
25
21
Tom Warren, Feature Analysis of CODASYL Data Base
Management Systems,
25 June 1975
25
20
Charles W. Bachman, "Commentary on the CODASYL Systems
Committee's interim report on distributed database technology,"
1978
19
13
"A Framework for the Distributed Database Systems:
Distribution Alternatives and Generic Architecture,"
undated
Systems Group,
1962
25
15
DETAB-X: Preliminary specifications for a decision
table structured language
1962
prepared by the Data Description and Transformation Logic Task
Forces of the Systems Group
25
16
Decision Table Tutorial Using DETAB-X
1962
Prepared by the Instruction Task Force of the Systems
Development Group
Technical Committee,
1975
19
14
Minutes and Correspondence,
1975