The worst programming language ever

[DGM]

Another programming language I used in my job, along with COBOL, was called UPG. It was NCR’s version of IBM RPG, a Report Program Generator, with the U standing for Universal I think. We called it the Universal Paper Generator because it tended to generate a lot of blank pages when you made a mistake. It was based on certain characters in certain columns of punch cards and was a very quick-and-dirty way to make reports from databases.

I don’t know where UPG and RPG rank in the “worst” category, but requiring things in certain columns might give it some impetus in that direction. Also, dropping and scattering your deck of unnumbered punch cards was something we all had to put up with.