Misplaced Pages

Software

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

A computer program is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to execute . It is one component of software , which also includes documentation and other intangible components.

#106893

77-554: Software consists of computer programs that instruct the execution of a computer . Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital computers in the mid-20th century. Early programs were written in the machine language specific to the hardware. The introduction of high-level programming languages in 1958 allowed for more human-readable instructions, making software development easier and more portable across different computer architectures . Software in

154-509: A compiler written for the language. ( Assembly language programs are translated using an assembler .) The resulting file is called an executable . Alternatively, source code may execute within an interpreter written for the language. If the executable is requested for execution, then the operating system loads it into memory and starts a process . The central processing unit will soon switch to this process so it can fetch, decode, and then execute each machine instruction. If

231-462: A list of integers could be called integer_list . In object-oriented jargon, abstract datatypes are called classes . However, a class is only a definition; no memory is allocated. When memory is allocated to a class and bound to an identifier , it is called an object . Object-oriented imperative languages developed by combining the need for classes and the need for safe functional programming . A function, in an object-oriented language,

308-422: A programming language . Programming language features exist to provide building blocks to be combined to express programming ideals. Ideally, a programming language should: The programming style of a programming language to provide these building blocks may be categorized into programming paradigms . For example, different paradigms may differentiate: Each of these programming styles has contributed to

385-532: A provider and accessed over the Internet . The process of developing software involves several stages. The stages include software design , programming , testing , release , and maintenance . Software quality assurance and security are critical aspects of software development, as bugs and security vulnerabilities can lead to system failures and security breaches. Additionally, legal issues such as software licenses and intellectual property rights play

462-428: A store which consisted of memory to hold 1,000 numbers of 50 decimal digits each. Numbers from the store were transferred to the mill for processing. The engine was programmed using two sets of perforated cards. One set directed the operation and the other set inputted the variables. However, the thousands of cogged wheels and gears never fully worked together. Ada Lovelace worked for Charles Babbage to create

539-516: A web application —had become the primary method that companies deliver applications. Software companies aim to deliver a high-quality product on time and under budget. A challenge is that software development effort estimation is often inaccurate. Software development begins by conceiving the project, evaluating its feasibility, analyzing the business requirements, and making a software design . Most software projects speed up their development by reusing or incorporating existing software, either in

616-454: A change request. Frequently, software is released in an incomplete state when the development team runs out of time or funding. Despite testing and quality assurance , virtually all software contains bugs where the system does not work as intended. Post-release software maintenance is necessary to remediate these bugs when they are found and keep the software working as the environment changes over time. New features are often added after

693-481: A code's correct and efficient behavior, its reusability and portability , or the ease of modification. It is usually more cost-effective to build quality into the product from the beginning rather than try to add it later in the development process. Higher quality code will reduce lifetime cost to both suppliers and customers as it is more reliable and easier to maintain . Software failures in safety-critical systems can be very serious including death. By some estimates,

770-410: A consistent set of rules. These rules are used for interpretation of the components within the structure. A modeling language can be graphical or textual. Examples of graphical modeling languages for software design include: A software designer may identify a design aspect which has been visited and perhaps even solved by others in the past. A template or pattern describing a solution to a common problem

847-620: A description of the Analytical Engine (1843). The description contained Note G which completely detailed a method for calculating Bernoulli numbers using the Analytical Engine. This note is recognized by some historians as the world's first computer program . In 1936, Alan Turing introduced the Universal Turing machine , a theoretical device that can model every computation. It is a finite-state machine that has an infinitely long read/write tape. The machine can move

SECTION 10

#1732772241107

924-484: A house. High-level plans represent the totality of the house (e.g., a three-dimensional rendering of the house). Lower-level plans provide guidance for constructing each detail (e.g., the plumbing lay). Similarly, the software design model provides a variety of views of the proposed software solution. Software design documentation may be reviewed or presented to allow constraints, specifications and even requirements to be adjusted prior to coding . Redesign may occur after

1001-584: A language's basic syntax . The syntax of the language BASIC (1964) was intentionally limited to make the language easy to learn. For example, variables are not declared before being used. Also, variables are automatically initialized to zero. Here is an example computer program, in Basic, to average a list of numbers: Once the mechanics of basic computer programming are learned, more sophisticated and powerful languages are available to build large computer systems. Improvements in software development are

1078-441: A legal regime where liability for software products is significantly curtailed compared to other products. Source code is protected by copyright law that vests the owner with the exclusive right to copy the code. The underlying ideas or algorithms are not protected by copyright law, but are often treated as a trade secret and concealed by such methods as non-disclosure agreements . Software copyright has been recognized since

1155-521: A profound influence on programming language design. Emerging from a committee of European and American programming language experts, it used standard mathematical notation and had a readable, structured design. Algol was first to define its syntax using the Backus–Naur form . This led to syntax-directed compilers. It added features like: Algol's direct descendants include Pascal , Modula-2 , Ada , Delphi and Oberon on one branch. On another branch

1232-437: A programming language is run through a compiler or interpreter to execute on the architecture's hardware. Over time, software has become complex, owing to developments in networking , operating systems , and databases . Software can generally be categorized into two main types: The rise of cloud computing has introduced the new software delivery model Software as a Service (SaaS). In SaaS, applications are hosted by

1309-546: A quick web search . Most creative professionals have switched to software-based tools such as computer-aided design , 3D modeling , digital image editing , and computer animation . Almost every complex device is controlled by software. Computer program A computer program in its human-readable form is called source code . Source code needs another computer program to execute because computers can only execute their native machine instructions . Therefore, source code may be translated to machine instructions using

1386-572: A result, the computer could be programmed quickly and perform calculations at very fast speeds. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly built the ENIAC. The two engineers introduced the stored-program concept in a three-page memo dated February 1944. Later, in September 1944, John von Neumann began working on the ENIAC project. On June 30, 1945, von Neumann published the First Draft of a Report on

1463-452: A review of a programmed simulation or prototype . It is possible to design software in the process of coding, without a plan or requirement analysis, but for more complex projects this is less feasible. A separate design prior to coding allows for multidisciplinary designers and subject-matter experts (SMEs) to collaborate with programmers in order to produce software that is useful and technically sound. One component of software design

1540-571: A significant fraction of computers are infected with malware. Programming languages are the format in which software is written. Since the 1950s, thousands of different programming languages have been invented; some have been in use for decades, while others have fallen into disuse. Some definitions classify machine code —the exact instructions directly implemented by the hardware—and assembly language —a more human-readable alternative to machine code whose statements can be translated one-to-one into machine code—as programming languages. Programs written in

1617-491: A significant role in the distribution of software products. The first use of the word software is credited to mathematician John Wilder Tukey in 1958. The first programmable computers, which appeared at the end of the 1940s, were programmed in machine language . Machine language is difficult to debug and not portable across different computers. Initially, hardware resources were more expensive than human resources . As programs became complex, programmer productivity became

SECTION 20

#1732772241107

1694-504: Is software requirements analysis (SRA). SRA is a part of the software development process that lists specifications used in software engineering . The output of the analysis is smaller problems to solve. In contrast, the design focuses on capabilities, and thus multiple designs for the same problem can exist. Depending on the environment, the design often varies, whether it is created from reliable frameworks or implemented with suitable design patterns . A design process may include

1771-418: Is assigned to a class. An assigned function is then referred to as a method , member function , or operation . Object-oriented programming is executing operations on objects . Object-oriented languages support a syntax to model subset/superset relationships. In set theory , an element of a subset inherits all the attributes contained in the superset. For example, a student is a person. Therefore,

1848-431: Is known as a design pattern . The reuse of such patterns can increase software development velocity. The difficulty of using the term "design" in relation to software is that in some senses, the source code of a program is the design for the program that it produces. To the extent that this is true, "software design" refers to the design of the design. Edsger W. Dijkstra referred to this layering of semantic levels as

1925-405: Is sometimes used to refer to these four fundamental principles. There are many aspects to consider in the design of a piece of software. The importance of each consideration should reflect the goals and expectations that the software is being created to meet. Some of these aspects are: A modeling language can be used to express information, knowledge or systems in a structure that is defined by

2002-468: Is the activity of following requirements specification and before coding . The design process enables a designer to model various aspects of a software system before it exists. Creativity, past experience, a sense of what makes "good" software, and a commitment to quality are success factors for a competent design. However, the design process is not always a straightforward procedure. The software design model can be compared to an architected plan for

2079-553: Is to alter the electrical resistivity and conductivity of a semiconductor junction . First, naturally occurring silicate minerals are converted into polysilicon rods using the Siemens process . The Czochralski process then converts the rods into a monocrystalline silicon , boule crystal . The crystal is then thinly sliced to form a wafer substrate . The planar process of photolithography then integrates unipolar transistors, capacitors , diodes , and resistors onto

2156-525: The new statement. A module's other file is the source file . Here is a C++ source file for the GRADE class in a simple school application: Here is a C++ header file for the PERSON class in a simple school application: Software design Software design is the process of conceptualizing how a software system will work before it is implemented or modified. Software design also refers to

2233-624: The IBM System/360 (1964) had a CPU made from circuit boards containing discrete components on ceramic substrates . The Intel 4004 (1971) was a 4- bit microprocessor designed to run the Busicom calculator. Five months after its release, Intel released the Intel 8008 , an 8-bit microprocessor. Bill Pentz led a team at Sacramento State to build the first microcomputer using the Intel 8008:

2310-485: The Sac State 8008 (1972). Its purpose was to store patient medical records. The computer supported a disk operating system to run a Memorex , 3- megabyte , hard disk drive . It had a color display and keyboard that was packaged in a single console. The disk operating system was programmed using IBM's Basic Assembly Language (BAL) . The medical records application was programmed using a BASIC interpreter. However,

2387-550: The circuits . At its core, it was a series of Pascalines wired together. Its 40 units weighed 30 tons, occupied 1,800 square feet (167 m ), and consumed $ 650 per hour ( in 1940s currency ) in electricity when idle. It had 20 base-10 accumulators . Programming the ENIAC took up to two months. Three function tables were on wheels and needed to be rolled to fixed function panels. Function tables were connected to function panels by plugging heavy black cables into plugboards . Each function table had 728 rotating knobs. Programming

Software - Misplaced Pages Continue

2464-436: The high-level programming languages used to create software share a few main characteristics: knowledge of machine code is not necessary to write them, they can be ported to other computer systems, and they are more concise and human-readable than machine code. They must be both human-readable and capable of being translated into unambiguous instructions for computer hardware. The invention of high-level programming languages

2541-404: The programming environment to advance from a computer terminal (until the 1990s) to a graphical user interface (GUI) computer. Computer terminals limited programmers to a single shell running in a command-line environment . During the 1970s, full-screen source code editing became possible through a text-based user interface . Regardless of the technology available, the goal is to program in

2618-422: The "radical novelty" of computer programming, and Donald Knuth used his experience writing TeX to describe the futility of attempting to design a program prior to implementing it: T E X would have been a complete failure if I had merely specified it and not participated fully in its initial implementation. The process of implementation constantly led me to unanticipated questions and to new insights about how

2695-502: The EDVAC , which equated the structures of the computer with the structures of the human brain. The design became known as the von Neumann architecture . The architecture was simultaneously deployed in the constructions of the EDVAC and EDSAC computers in 1949. The IBM System/360 (1964) was a family of computers, each having the same instruction set architecture . The Model 20 was

2772-433: The ENIAC also involved setting some of the 3,000 switches. Debugging a program took a week. It ran from 1947 until 1955 at Aberdeen Proving Ground , calculating hydrogen bomb parameters, predicting weather patterns, and producing firing tables to aim artillery guns. Instead of plugging in cords and turning switches, a stored-program computer loads its instructions into memory just like it loads its data into memory. As

2849-500: The actual risk is dependent on the nature of the vulnerability as well as the value of the surrounding system. Although some vulnerabilities can only be used for denial of service attacks that compromise a system's availability, others allow the attacker to inject and run their own code (called malware ), without the user being aware of it. To thwart cyberattacks, all software in the system must be designed to withstand and recover from external attack. Despite efforts to ensure security,

2926-418: The bottleneck. The introduction of high-level programming languages in 1958 hid the details of the hardware and expressed the underlying algorithms into the code . Early languages include Fortran , Lisp , and COBOL . There are two main types of software: Software can also be categorized by how it is deployed . Traditional applications are purchased with a perpetual license for a specific version of

3003-640: The cheaper Intel 8088 . IBM embraced the Intel 8088 when they entered the personal computer market (1981). As consumer demand for personal computers increased, so did Intel's microprocessor development. The succession of development is known as the x86 series . The x86 assembly language is a family of backward-compatible machine instructions . Machine instructions created in earlier microprocessors were retained throughout microprocessor upgrades. This enabled consumers to purchase new computers without having to purchase new application software . The major categories of instructions are: VLSI circuits enabled

3080-419: The computer was an evolutionary dead-end because it was extremely expensive. Also, it was built at a public university lab for a specific purpose. Nonetheless, the project contributed to the development of the Intel 8080 (1974) instruction set . In 1978, the modern software development environment began when Intel upgraded the Intel 8080 to the Intel 8086 . Intel simplified the Intel 8086 to manufacture

3157-549: The configuration, an execute button was pressed. This process was then repeated. Computer programs also were automatically inputted via paper tape , punched cards or magnetic-tape . After the medium was loaded, the starting address was set via switches, and the execute button was pressed. A major milestone in software development was the invention of the Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) circuit (1964). Following World War II , tube-based technology

Software - Misplaced Pages Continue

3234-401: The correctness of code, while user acceptance testing helps to ensure that the product meets customer expectations. There are a variety of software development methodologies , which vary from completing all steps in order to concurrent and iterative models. Software development is driven by requirements taken from prospective users, as opposed to maintenance, which is driven by events such as

3311-749: The cost of poor quality software can be as high as 20 to 40 percent of sales. Despite developers' goal of delivering a product that works entirely as intended, virtually all software contains bugs. The rise of the Internet also greatly increased the need for computer security as it enabled malicious actors to conduct cyberattacks remotely. If a bug creates a security risk, it is called a vulnerability . Software patches are often released to fix identified vulnerabilities, but those that remain unknown ( zero days ) as well as those that have not been patched are still liable for exploitation. Vulnerabilities vary in their ability to be exploited by malicious actors, and

3388-415: The cost of products. Unlike copyrights, patents generally only apply in the jurisdiction where they were issued. Engineer Capers Jones writes that "computers and software are making profound changes to every aspect of human life: education, work, warfare, entertainment, medicine, law, and everything else". It has become ubiquitous in everyday life in developed countries . In many cases, software augments

3465-434: The descendants include C , C++ and Java . BASIC (1964) stands for "Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code". It was developed at Dartmouth College for all of their students to learn. If a student did not go on to a more powerful language, the student would still remember Basic. A Basic interpreter was installed in the microcomputers manufactured in the late 1970s. As the microcomputer industry grew, so did

3542-541: The design process. Davis suggests a set of principles for software design, which have been adapted and extended in the following list: Design concepts provide a designer with a foundation from which more sophisticated methods can be applied. A set of design concepts has evolved including: In his object model, Grady Booch mentions Abstraction , Encapsulation , Modularisation , and Hierarchy as fundamental software design principles. The acronym PHAME (Principles of Hierarchy, Abstraction, Modularisation, and Encapsulation)

3619-439: The direct result of the design process – the concepts of how the software will work which consists of both design documentation and undocumented concepts. Software design usually is directed by goals for the resulting system and involves problem-solving and planning – including both high-level software architecture and low-level component and algorithm design . In terms of the waterfall development process , software design

3696-460: The first Fortran standard in 1966. In 1978, Fortran 77 became the standard until 1991. Fortran 90 supports: COBOL (1959) stands for "COmmon Business Oriented Language". Fortran manipulated symbols. It was soon realized that symbols did not need to be numbers, so strings were introduced. The US Department of Defense influenced COBOL's development, with Grace Hopper being a major contributor. The statements were English-like and verbose. The goal

3773-434: The form of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or open-source software . Software quality assurance is typically a combination of manual code review by other engineers and automated software testing . Due to time constraints, testing cannot cover all aspects of the software's intended functionality, so developers often focus on the most critical functionality. Formal methods are used in some safety-critical systems to prove

3850-435: The functionality of existing technologies such as household appliances and elevators . Software also spawned entirely new technologies such as the Internet , video games , mobile phones , and GPS . New methods of communication, including email , forums , blogs , microblogging , wikis , and social media , were enabled by the Internet. Massive amounts of knowledge exceeding any paper-based library are now available with

3927-479: The language BCPL was replaced with B , and AT&T Bell Labs called the next version "C". Its purpose was to write the UNIX operating system . C is a relatively small language, making it easy to write compilers. Its growth mirrored the hardware growth in the 1980s. Its growth also was because it has the facilities of assembly language , but uses a high-level syntax . It added advanced features like: C allows

SECTION 50

#1732772241107

4004-400: The language. Basic pioneered the interactive session . It offered operating system commands within its environment: However, the Basic syntax was too simple for large programs. Recent dialects added structure and object-oriented extensions. Microsoft's Visual Basic is still widely used and produces a graphical user interface . C programming language (1973) got its name because

4081-485: The matrix was to burn out the unneeded connections. There were so many connections, firmware programmers wrote a computer program on another chip to oversee the burning. The technology became known as Programmable ROM . In 1971, Intel installed the computer program onto the chip and named it the Intel 4004 microprocessor . The terms microprocessor and central processing unit (CPU) are now used interchangeably. However, CPUs predate microprocessors. For example,

4158-594: The mid-1970s and is vested in the company that makes the software, not the employees or contractors who wrote it. The use of most software is governed by an agreement ( software license ) between the copyright holder and the user. Proprietary software is usually sold under a restrictive license that limits copying and reuse (often enforced with tools such as digital rights management (DRM)). Open-source licenses , in contrast, allow free use and redistribution of software with few conditions. Most open-source licenses used for software require that modifications be released under

4235-469: The operating system) can take this saved file and execute it as a process on the computer hardware. Some programming languages use an interpreter instead of a compiler. An interpreter converts the program into machine code at run time , which makes them 10 to 100 times slower than compiled programming languages. Software is often released with the knowledge that it is incomplete or contains bugs. Purchasers knowingly buy it in this state, which has led to

4312-616: The physical world may also be part of the requirements for a software patent to be held valid. Software patents have been historically controversial . Before the 1998 case State Street Bank & Trust Co. v. Signature Financial Group, Inc. , software patents were generally not recognized in the United States. In that case, the Supreme Court decided that business processes could be patented. Patent applications are complex and costly, and lawsuits involving patents can drive up

4389-427: The production of artifacts such as flow chart , use case , Pseudocode , Unified Modeling Language model and other Fundamental modeling concepts . For user centered software, design may involve user experience design yielding a storyboard to help determine those specifications. Sometimes the output of a design process is design documentation . Basic design principles enable a software engineer to navigate

4466-443: The programmer to control which region of memory data is to be stored. Global variables and static variables require the fewest clock cycles to store. The stack is automatically used for the standard variable declarations . Heap memory is returned to a pointer variable from the malloc() function. In the 1970s, software engineers needed language support to break large projects down into modules . One obvious feature

4543-406: The release. Over time, the level of maintenance becomes increasingly restricted before being cut off entirely when the product is withdrawn from the market. As software ages , it becomes known as legacy software and can remain in use for decades, even if there is no one left who knows how to fix it. Over the lifetime of the product, software maintenance is estimated to comprise 75 percent or more of

4620-494: The result of improvements in computer hardware . At each stage in hardware's history, the task of computer programming changed dramatically. In 1837, Jacquard's loom inspired Charles Babbage to attempt to build the Analytical Engine . The names of the components of the calculating device were borrowed from the textile industry. In the textile industry, yarn was brought from the store to be milled. The device had

4697-422: The same license, which can create complications when open-source software is reused in proprietary projects. Patents give an inventor an exclusive, time-limited license for a novel product or process. Ideas about what software could accomplish are not protected by law and concrete implementations are instead covered by copyright law . In some countries, a requirement for the claimed invention to have an effect on

SECTION 60

#1732772241107

4774-438: The set of students is a subset of the set of persons. As a result, students inherit all the attributes common to all persons. Additionally, students have unique attributes that other people do not have. Object-oriented languages model subset/superset relationships using inheritance . Object-oriented programming became the dominant language paradigm by the late 1990s. C++ (1985) was originally called "C with Classes". It

4851-467: The smallest and least expensive. Customers could upgrade and retain the same application software . The Model 195 was the most premium. Each System/360 model featured multiprogramming —having multiple processes in memory at once. When one process was waiting for input/output , another could compute. IBM planned for each model to be programmed using PL/1 . A committee was formed that included COBOL , Fortran and ALGOL programmers. The purpose

4928-432: The software, downloaded, and run on hardware belonging to the purchaser. The rise of the Internet and cloud computing enabled a new model, software as a service (SaaS), in which the provider hosts the software (usually built on top of rented infrastructure or platforms ) and provides the use of the software to customers, often in exchange for a subscription fee . By 2023, SaaS products—which are usually delivered via

5005-418: The source code is requested for execution, then the operating system loads the corresponding interpreter into memory and starts a process. The interpreter then loads the source code into memory to translate and execute each statement . Running the source code is slower than running an executable . Moreover, the interpreter must be installed on the computer. The "Hello, World!" program is used to illustrate

5082-430: The synthesis of different programming languages . A programming language is a set of keywords , symbols , identifiers , and rules by which programmers can communicate instructions to the computer. They follow a set of rules called a syntax . Programming languages get their basis from formal languages . The purpose of defining a solution in terms of its formal language is to generate an algorithm to solve

5159-447: The tape back and forth, changing its contents as it performs an algorithm . The machine starts in the initial state, goes through a sequence of steps, and halts when it encounters the halt state. All present-day computers are Turing complete . The Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC) was built between July 1943 and Fall 1945. It was a Turing complete , general-purpose computer that used 17,468 vacuum tubes to create

5236-425: The total development cost. Completing a software project involves various forms of expertise, not just in software programmers but also testing, documentation writing, project management , graphic design , user experience , user support, marketing , and fundraising. Software quality is defined as meeting the stated requirements as well as customer expectations. Quality is an overarching term that can refer to

5313-561: The underlining problem. An algorithm is a sequence of simple instructions that solve a problem. The evolution of programming languages began when the EDSAC (1949) used the first stored computer program in its von Neumann architecture . Programming the EDSAC was in the first generation of programming language . Imperative languages specify a sequential algorithm using declarations , expressions , and statements : FORTRAN (1958)

5390-448: The wafer to build a matrix of metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) transistors. The MOS transistor is the primary component in integrated circuit chips . Originally, integrated circuit chips had their function set during manufacturing. During the 1960s, controlling the electrical flow migrated to programming a matrix of read-only memory (ROM). The matrix resembled a two-dimensional array of fuses. The process to embed instructions onto

5467-427: Was designed to expand C's capabilities by adding the object-oriented facilities of the language Simula . An object-oriented module is composed of two files. The definitions file is called the header file . Here is a C++ header file for the GRADE class in a simple school application: A constructor operation is a function with the same name as the class name. It is executed when the calling operation executes

5544-436: Was replaced with point-contact transistors (1947) and bipolar junction transistors (late 1950s) mounted on a circuit board . During the 1960s , the aerospace industry replaced the circuit board with an integrated circuit chip . Robert Noyce , co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor (1957) and Intel (1968), achieved a technological improvement to refine the production of field-effect transistors (1963). The goal

5621-400: Was simultaneous with the compilers needed to translate them automatically into machine code. Most programs do not contain all the resources needed to run them and rely on external libraries . Part of the compiler's function is to link these files in such a way that the program can be executed by the hardware. Once compiled, the program can be saved as an object file and the loader (part of

5698-405: Was to decompose large projects physically into separate files . A less obvious feature was to decompose large projects logically into abstract data types . At the time, languages supported concrete (scalar) datatypes like integer numbers, floating-point numbers, and strings of characters . Abstract datatypes are structures of concrete datatypes, with a new name assigned. For example,

5775-433: Was to design a language so managers could read the programs. However, the lack of structured statements hindered this goal. COBOL's development was tightly controlled, so dialects did not emerge to require ANSI standards. As a consequence, it was not changed for 15 years until 1974. The 1990s version did make consequential changes, like object-oriented programming . ALGOL (1960) stands for "ALGOrithmic Language". It had

5852-425: Was to develop a language that was comprehensive, easy to use, extendible, and would replace Cobol and Fortran. The result was a large and complex language that took a long time to compile . Computers manufactured until the 1970s had front-panel switches for manual programming. The computer program was written on paper for reference. An instruction was represented by a configuration of on/off settings. After setting

5929-423: Was unveiled as "The IBM Mathematical FORmula TRANslating system". It was designed for scientific calculations, without string handling facilities. Along with declarations , expressions , and statements , it supported: It succeeded because: However, non-IBM vendors also wrote Fortran compilers, but with a syntax that would likely fail IBM's compiler. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) developed

#106893