Case Closed: the 500 Language Problem is Cracked

We explain what the 500 language problem is, why it is a relevant problem , and why solutions are needed. We discuss its solution, and illustrate it by applying it to two non-trivial but representative languages: an exotic proprietary real-time language from the telecommunications industry, and a well-known dialect of the most popular language in the world: IBM's VS COBOL II. We share our lessons learned based on these examples and on other experiences we had with our work on this problem. 1 What is the 500 Language Problem? Capers Jones estimates that there are at least 500 languages and dialects available in commercial form or in the public domain. On top of that, he estimates that some 200 proprietary languages have been developed by corporations for their own use 8, loc. cit. 321]. In his book on estimating the costs of the Year 2000 problem 9] he furthermore indicated that systems written in all those 500 plus 200 languages were aaected. The initial estimate of Jones inspired many Y2K whistle blowers to mention his estimates as a major impediment to solve the Year 2000 problem. Let's have a look at what these people had to say. For instance, Ed Yourdon got so many email messages on solutions for the Y2K problem that he had to answer such email with a boilerplate where the 500 language problem is mentioned, and it is worthwhile to quote this part in its entirety: I recognize that there is always a chance that someone will come up with a brilliant solution that everyone else has overlooked, but at this late date, I think it's highly unlikely. In particular, I think 1