On 15/02/2025 20:09, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:
On 2/15/25 12:27, Frank Leonhardt via cctalk wrote:
On 15/02/2025 16:35, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:
On 2/15/25 08:43, Frank Leonhardt via cctalk wrote:
As those of us with a few years will know, Tony Hoare (and Jill's)
implementation of Algol 60 on the Elliott 803 was a highly
significant event in the history of computer languages. It was the
first practical commercial Algol compiler, launched block
structures languages, and played a part in Elliott selling nearly
300 803B computers at a time when 300 computers was a big number.
Obviously the US preferred Fortran and COBOL for commercial use,
and there were other Algol compilers in some shape or other
knocking about in universities. But I'd say this implementation put
block structured programming into the mainstream. (And it was the
first high level language I used, but that's beside the point).
The Bendix G15 (introduced in 1956) had ALGO, their variant of
Algol. Not sure when this was available, but likely after 1958 or
so. I think it was the only high level language available on that
computer.
Running anything like Algol on a machine with drum memory seems a bit
optimistic!
Compiles were supposed to take about 2 DAYS! With constant changing
of compiler phase tapes. We never got our G15 close to running enough
to try it. It had two badly scored drum tracks.
Elliott Algol was pretty quick (and therefore practical) - feed the
compiler tape in (8-hole) and then feed in your program on five hole.
It's been a long time but it was compiling at several cps and your
program ran in a few minutes. Then feed in another. You could compile to
tape for larger programs. The 803 had 4K or 8K by 39-bit core, but I
have a feeling it needed the full 8K for Algol. The later 503 (1963?)
was a lot faster. I had access to one but never got it working.
This must have been three or four years after the Bendix!
