University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota LibrariesOnline Finding Aids
space Home | About Us | Search Tips | Finding Aids FAQ | View Basket |
Conference on Data Systems Languages Records, 1959-1987. Finding Aid.

Summary Information
Title: Conference on Data Systems Languages records
Dates: 1959-1987
Creator: Conference on Data Systems Languages
Extent: 26 boxes (24.5 cubic feet)
Language: English
Collection Number: CBI 11
Abstract:
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.

Repository: University of Minnesota Libraries. Charles Babbage Institute.

Access and Use
Acquisition Information:

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 Restrictions:

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

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.


Collection 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.

Subject Terms
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
 Location  Title
 
Common business oriented language (COBOL) committee, 1959-1988 
Box 25
Draft Specifications for a Common Business Oriented Language (Short Range Task Force), 1959 Box 25, Folder 1-2
 
Initial Specifications for a Common Business Oriented Language (Short Range Task Force), 1960 Box 25, Folder 3
 
Revised Specifications for a Common Business Oriented Language, 1961 Box 25, Folder 4
 
COBOL edition 1965, 1965 Box 25, Folder 5
 
) COBOL edition 1965 with revision to 1968 [Japanese translation] 1968 Box 25, Folder 9
Box 3
Minutes and Correspondence, 1966-1968 Box 3, Folder 1-11
Box 25
Fundamentals of COBOL [U.S. Navy Programmers Reference manual], 1968 Box 25, Folder 17
Box 21
Journal of Development 1968, 1969 Box 21, Folder 11
Box 22
COBOL 1968, 1969 Box 22, Folder 11
Box 21
Journal of Development 1969, April 1970 Box 21, Folder 12
Box 3
"Formal Definition of the Syntax of COBOL," 1970 Box 3, Folder 12
Box 21
Journal of Development 1970, December 1970 revision Box 21, Folder 13-14
 
Journal of Development 1970, July 1971 revision Box 21, Folder 15
Box 3
Journal of Development, 1971 Box 3, Folder 13-14
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1971-1976 Box 3, Folder 17-19
Box 22
Specification for Machine Independent COBOL [NAVSHIPS], ca. 1972 Box 22, Folder 6
Box 26
Journal of Development, July 1972 Box 26, Folder 1-2
Box 21
Journal of Development 1970, November 1972 revision Box 21, Folder 16-17
Box 24
Machine Independent COBOL [presentation by Rice], 1973 Box 24, Folder 5
Box 22
Proposed COBOL standard, January 1974 Box 22, Folder 10
 
COBOL standard, 1974 Box 22, Folder 7-9
Box 21
Journal of Development 1973, September 1975 revision Box 21, Folder 18-19
Box 25
Journal of Development 1976, October 1976 revisions Box 25, Folder 10-11
 
Draft proposed American National Standard Minimum COBOL, November 1976 Box 25, Folder 12
Box 20
Journal of Development 1976, August and December 1977 revisions Box 20, Folder 1-2
 
Constitution of COBOL, 1977 Box 3, Folder 20
Box 4
Minutes and Correspondence, 1977-1978 Box 4, Folder 1-18
Box 3
"A Revised Communication Facility for CODASYL COBOL," 1978 Box 3, Folder 15
Box 20
Journal of Development 1978, April 1980 revisions Box 20, Folder 3-4
Box 5
Minutes and Correspondence, 1978-1981 Box 5, Folder 1-17
Box 6
 Journal of Development, 1981 Box 6, Folder 1-2
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1981 Box 6, Folder 3-4
 
By-laws of CODASYL, 1981 Box 6, Folder 5
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1981-1982 Box 6, Folder 6-14
 
COBOL Constitution, 1983 Box 6, Folder 15
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1983 Box 6, Folder 16
 
Non COBOL-Committee Member Proposals, 1983 Box 6, Folder 17
Box 7
Minutes and Correspondence, 1983-1985 Box 7, Folder 1-18
Box 20
Journal of Development, 1984 Box 20, Folder 5-6
 
Correspondence, 1986-1990 Box 20, Folder 11
 
Minutes, 1986-1992 Box 20, Folder 13-16
Box 22
COBOL85 for Programmers, 1988 Box 22, Folder 14
Box 20
Journal of Development, 1988 Box 20
Box 3
Minutes and Correspondence, n. d. Box 3, Folder 16
 
Common Operating System Command Language Committee, 1971-1981 
Box 8
Operating Systems Command Language, 1971 Box 8, Folder 1-3
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1976-1979 Box 8, Folder 4-12
Box 9
Minutes and Correspondence, 1979-1981 Box 9, Folder 1-5
 
Journal of Development  
Box 9
Draft 0.2  Box 9, Folder 6
 
Draft 0.5  Box 9, Folder 7
 
Version 1.0  Box 9, Folder 8
 
Version 1.1  Box 9, Folder 9
 
Version 1.2  Box 9, Folder 10
Box 21
Version 1.3  Box 21, Folder 8
Box 9
Version 1.4  Box 9, Folder 11
 
Version 1.5  Box 9, Folder 12
 
Version 1.6b  Box 21, Folder 9
 
Version 1.9  Box 21, Folder 10
Box 9
Version 2.0  Box 9, Folder 13
Box 22
Version 2.2 [Japanese translation only]  Box 22, Folder 14
Box 9
Version 3.0  Box 9, Folder 14
 
CODASYL Newsletter, 1973-1978 Box 9, Folder 15
 
CODASYL Newsletter, 1972-1981 Box 9, Folder 16
 
Data Base Task Group, 1969-1971 
Box 25
Report, 1969 Box 25, Folder 6
Box 9
Report, 1971 Box 9, Folder 7
Box 25
BCS October 71 Conference on April 71 Report, 1971 Box 25, Folder 13
 
Olle, T. William, "An assessment of how the CODASYL Data Base Task Group Proposal meets the GUIDE-SHARE requirements," April 1972 Box 25, Folder 14
 
Data Description Language Committee, 1972-1985 
Box 26
COBOL Mass Storage Specifications, 1970 Box 26, Folder 11
Box 10
Minutes and Correspondence, 1972-1982 Box 10, Folder 1-11
Box 25
Journal of Development, 1973 Box 25, Folder 8
 
Journal of Development, 1973 Box 25, Folder 26
 
Frank A. Manola, DDLC Working Papers, 1973-79 Box 25, Folder 24-25
 
Meeting material and reports, 1973 Box 25, Folder 27-28
Note Labeled DDLC/DBLTG
 
Revised Section 3, 15 Jan. 1974 Box 25, Folder 23
 
Minutes and reports, 24 January 1974 Box 25, Folder 22
Box 26
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 Box 26, Folder 7-9
 
Unidata, CODASYL Data Base Management System, 1974 Box 26, Folder 10
Note PHOLAS
Box 21
Journal of Development, 1978 Box 21, Folder 7
Box 26
Rob Gerritsen et al, "Physical Design of a CODASYL Data Base, circa 1981 Box 26, Folder 6
Box 10
Journal of Development, 1981 Box 10, Folder 12
 
DDLC-DBAWG Subcommittee Minutes and Correspondence, 1981-1985 Box 10, Folder 13
 
End User Facility Task Group, 1974 
Box 25
Tasking Statement and Minutes, 1973-1974 Box 25, Folder 19
 
End User Function Committee, 1974-1983 
Box 11
Minutes and Correspondence, 1974-1975 Box 11, Folder 1
 
Task Group Minutes and Correspondence, 1974-1975 Box 11, Folder 2
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1976-1980 Box 11, Folder 3-6
 
Journal of Development, 1980 Box 11, Folder 7
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1980-1983 Box 11, Folder 8-9
 
Journal of Development, 1983 Box 11
 
Executive Committee, 1959-1988 
Box 1
Minutes and correspondence, 1959-1975 Box 1, Folder 1-20
Box 2
Minutes and correspondence, 1962-1966 Box 2, Folder 9-17
Box 22
Lists (mailing, membership), ca. 1972 Box 22, Folder 23
 
Newsletter, 1972-1976 Box 22, Folder 24
Box 24
Executive Committee Biographies, 1973 Box 24, Folder 8
Box 22
Newsletter topics, 1974 Box 22, Folder 22
Box 24
Newsletter correspondence, 1974-1975 Box 24, Folder 11
Box 2
Correspondence with John L. Jones, 1975-1980 Box 2, Folder 8
Box 24
Executive Secretary's notebook, 1976-1978 Box 24
Box 2
Minutes and correspondence, 1976-1982 Box 2, Folder 1-7
Box 22
Constitution and Executive Committee bylaws, 1977 Box 22, Folder 18
Box 24
Constitution and Bylaws, 1987 Box 24, Folder 6-7
Box 22
CODASYL 20th Anniversary meeting, 1979 Box 22, Folder 16
Box 24
Correspondence, 1976 Box 24
 
Correspondence, 1977 Box 24, Folder 14
 
Correspondence, 1978 Box 24, Folder 12
 
Correspondence, 1979 Box 24, Folder 9
 
Correspondence, 1981 Box 24, Folder 13
 
Correspondence, 1981-1985 Box 24, Folder 2
Box 23
Minutes and correspondence, March 1983 Box 23, Folder 1
 
Minutes and correspondence, June 1983 Box 23, Folder 2
 
Minutes and correspondence, December 1983 Box 23, Folder 4
 
Minutes and correspondence, March 1984 Box 23, Folder 5
 
Minutes and correspondence, September 1984 Box 23, Folder 6
 
Minutes and correspondence, December 1984 Box 23, Folder 7
Box 22
Minutes and correspondence, 1984-1986 Box 22, Folder 19
Box 23
Minutes and correspondence, March 1985 Box 23, Folder 8
 
Minutes and correspondence, September 1985 Box 23, Folder 9
 
Minutes and correspondence, December 1985 Box 23, Folder 10
Box 24
Correspondence with Computer Museum re: COBOL Tombstone, 1985 Box 24, Folder 3
Box 23
Minutes and correspondence, September 1986 Box 23, Folder 11
 
Minutes and correspondence, November 1986 Box 23, Folder 12
 
Minutes and correspondence, December 1986 Box 23, Folder 13
Box 22
Minutes and correspondence, March 1986 Box 22, Folder 21
 
Minutes and correspondence, June 1986 Box 22, Folder 20
Box 20
Minutes and attachments, 1986-1987 Box 20, Folder 12
Box 23
Minutes and correspondence, March 1987 Box 23, Folder 14
 
Minutes and correspondence, September 1987 Box 23, Folder 15
Box 22
Minutes and correspondence, December 1987 Box 22, Folder 17
Box 24
Minutes and correspondence, March 1988 Box 24, Folder 1
 
File Processing Task Group, 1974-1980 
Box 2
File Processing Task Group, 1974-1980 Box 2, Folder 11-12
 
Journal of Development, 1980 Box 2, Folder 13
 
Forms Interface Management Systems Committee, 1988-1990 
Box 21
Journal of Development, 28 June 1988 Box 21, Folder 1-2
 
Subset FIMS Journal of Development, 7 February 1990 Box 21, Folder 3
 
Journal of Development, 26 November 1990 Box 21, Folder 4-5
 
Fortran-Data Base Processing Facility Committee, 1974-1980 
Box 2
Minutes and Correspondence, 1984-1981 Box 2, Folder 14-16
 
Journal of Development (Versions 1.3 and 1.4)  Box 2, Folder 17
 
Journal of Development (Versions 1.5 and 1.6)  Box 2, Folder 18
 
Journal of Development, 1980 Box 2, Folder 19
 
Intermediate Range Task Force, 1959 
Box 22
Minutes, 8-9 October 1959 Box 22, Folder 4
 
Intermediate Range Task Force II, 1959 
Box 22
Minutes, 14 October 1959 Box 22, Folder 5
 
Nice Standard Control Language (NICOLA), 1979 
Box 12
Explanation of Nicola, 1979 Box 12, Folder 1-3
 
Object-Oriented COBOL Task Group (OOCTG), 1990 
Box 20
Minutes, 1990 Box 20, Folder 10
 
Planning Committee, 1972-1973 
Box 12
Minutes and Correspondence, 1972-1973 Box 12, Folder 4
 
Programming Language Committee, 1965-1987 
Box 12
Minutes and Correspondence, 1969-1971 Box 12, Folder 5-16
 
Database Task Group Report, 1971 Box 12, Folder 17
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1971 Box 12, Folder 18
Box 13
Minutes and Correspondence, 1971-1973 Box 13, Folder 1-17
Box 22
Straw votes, 1971-1974 Box 22, Folder 1-3
Box 14
Minutes and Correspondence, 1973-1974 Box 14, Folder 1-15
Box 15
Minutes and Correspondence, 1975- Box 15, Folder 1-15
Box 16
Proposals 68000-73009, 1965-1973 Box 16, Folder 1-11
Box 17
Proposals 73010-77068, 1973-1977 Box 17, Folder 1-14
 
Screen Management Committee, 1985 
Box 21
Screen Management System Journal of Development, 1 July 1985 Box 21, Folder 6
 
Screen Management Task Group, 1979-1985 
Box 18
Minutes and Correspondence, 1979-1982 Box 18, Folder 1-6
 
Journal of Development, 1982 Box 18, Folder 7
 
Minutes and Correspondence, 1982-1984 Box 18, Folder 3-13
 
Minutes and Correspondence, undated Box 18, Folder 14
Box 19
Journal of Development, 1985 Box 19, Folder 1-2
 
Storage Structure Task Group, 1974 
Box 26
Meeting material and working papers, 1974 Box 26, Folder 3
 
Stored Data Definition and Translation Task Group, 1974 
Box 26
Meeting material and reports, 1974 Box 26, Folder 4
 
Minutes, 1974 Box 26, Folder 5
 
Systems Committee, 1972-1982 
Box 22
Survey of Generalized Data Base Management Systems, May 1969 Box 22, Folder 12
 
Feature Analysis of Data Base Management Systems, May 1971 Box 22, Folder 13
Box 19
Minutes and Correspondence, 1972-1982 Box 19, Folder 3-12
 
EUFTG Minutes, 1974 Box 25, Folder 19
Note Sent to Systems Committee also
 
Tom Warren, Feature Analysis of CODASYL Data Base Management Systems, 25 June 1975 Box 25, Folder 21
 
Charles W. Bachman, "Commentary on the CODASYL Systems Committee's interim report on distributed database technology," 1978 Box 25, Folder 20
Box 19
"A Framework for the Distributed Database Systems: Distribution Alternatives and Generic Architecture," undated Box 19, Folder 13
 
Systems Group, 1962 
Box 25
DETAB-X: Preliminary specifications for a decision table structured language 1962 Box 25, Folder 15
Note prepared by the Data Description and Transformation Logic Task Forces of the Systems Group
 
Decision Table Tutorial Using DETAB-X 1962 Box 25, Folder 16
Note Prepared by the Instruction Task Force of the Systems Development Group
 
Technical Committee, 1975 
Box 19
Minutes and Correspondence, 1975 Box 19, Folder 14