>I would say that you can't take anyone and make a COBOL programmer. But it's sure that anyone with minimal programming knowledge can understand a simple COBOL program without COBOL knowledge. I don't remember too much of COBOL, but I remember that it was very easy to understand. Maybe I'm wrong in my "souvenirs"...
>
>Vlad

Vlad,

I don't think your "souvenirs" are wrong, just a different version of COBOL than I had experience with.

Neither do I think that you can take anyone and make them a programmer in anything overnight. It takes both formal training/education in programming fundamentals and experience. The funny thing is that despite this the "take someone off the streets and make them a programmer" idea hasn't died a well deserved death.

Of course, this is just IMHO. I could be wrong.

George