The ALGOL 60 Report,* when first encountered, seems to describe a very complex language which will be difficult to learn. The “metalinguistic formulae” admirably serve the purpose of precisely specifying a language, but they are certainly not very readable for a beginner. However, experience has shown that once the report is explained it is in fact easy to learn ALGOL and to write algorithms in it. The language is so general and powerful it can handle an enormous class of problems.
It is not hard to learn those parts of ALGOL present in other compiler languages: how to write assignment and go to and for statements, etc. Indeed, a lot of the unnecessary restrictions imposed by other compiling languages have finally been lifted. But ALGOL also allows many unobvious things to be written, as we will see later, and herein lies a problem: ALGOL seems to have become too general. So many restrictions have been lifted that a lot of technical details crop up which are hard to learn and to use correctly. In this paper some of the more obscure features of the language are considered and their usefulness is discussed. Remarks are based on the authors' interpretations of the ALGOL 60 Report.
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The state of digital computer technology in Europe
This report indicates the level of computer development and application in each of the thirty countries of Europe, most of which were recently visited by the author
Design of an improved transmission/data processing code
Historically there has been strong difference of opinion in the construction of 6-bit (64-character) data codes, based upon whether the code is to be used for communications or data processing. This paper reports on investigation of an improved code which meets transmission requirements and requires very little modification for varied data processing usage.
An indirect chaining method for addressing on secondary keys
Methods for entering random-access files on the basis of one key are briefly surveyed. The widely used chaining method, based on a pseudo-random key transformation, is reviewed in more detail. An efficient generalization of the chaining method which permits recovery on additional keys is then presented.
Comparison of iterative methods for the calculation of nth roots
Three iterative methods for calculation of nth roots (including one proposed by the author) are compared in two ways: (1) Theoretical convergence estimates are given. (2) A new macro-compiler which estimates machine running time is used to compare the running time of the three methods for a variety of input data.
Recent contributions on the subject of counting the ones or reversing the digits of a binary word have prompted some rather more general observations on bitwise operations which treat each binary digit in a computer word as a separate entity.
Two subroutines for symbol manipulation with an algebraic compiler
The current University of North Carolina version of the IT Compiler [1, 2], as well as the GAT Compiler of Arden and Graham of the University of Michigan [3], have special “alphabetic read” and “alphabetic type” statements. On the UNIVAC 1105 these features allow the direct input or output of six-symbol words, each symbol being either an alphanumeric or special character. Internally, each symbol is represented by a six-bit binary coded decimal code. On the IBM 650, five-symbol words are processed, with each symbol represented internally by a two-digit decimal code.
Comment on a paper on parallel processing
The article by Lynn Yarbrough on Parallel Processing in the October Communications is interesting since it attracts attention to a subject which needs to be given increased consideration. His indictment of manufacturers for failing to provide what he feels is minimal to realizing the advantages of multi-programming is not applicable to STRETCH, however. It may be recalled that his specific complaint concerns the lack of protection of any program or monitor from the unpredictable actions of any other program. On page 15 of the STRETCH Data Processing System Reference Manual, we read: Address monitoring facilities are provided … The upper and lower boundaries of the storage area to be defined are placed in two address boundary registers. An alarm will be given when an address falls either inside or outside the defined area, whichever is desired. Storing in protected areas is normally suppressed.
The BKS system for the Philco-2000
The BKS System is a program sequencing system designed for the Philco-2000 computer to meet operational requirements of the Bettis and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories. The Philco-2000 on which this system is being used has a 32,768-word memory, 16 tape transports on-line, and an electric typewriter on-line. The card-to-tape, card-to-printer, tape-to-card, tape-to-printer, and routine tape-to-tape operations are performed with off-line equipment.
A card format for reference files in information processing
This paper proposes a card format suitable for a variety of reference files in information processing. An 80-column IBM card is divided into two fields—reference material field (columns 1-67) and identification field (columns 68-80). The format for the reference material is flexible, while the format for the identification is rigid. The reference material includes basically an index, title, source, class, summary and cross reference for each entry. The identification includes basically codes for a matrix of descriptors, an entry number, and the kind, major interest, and source of the reference. The identification also provides a choice to identify material for personal as well as general files. Since this card format is sufficient to identify the material normally associated with reference files for books, articles, programming terms, hardware terms, equipment, machine systems, abbreviations, etc., it is suitable as a standard for card reference files in information processing.
Statistical programs at the University of North Carolina
The Research Computation Center at the University of North Carolina has access to a UNIVAC 1105 general purpose digital computer for use in connection with data processing problems, theoretical studies, and computer research. With respect to data processing problems, three major statistical programs have been written:
General Contingency Table Analysis for Questionnaire Data
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
Multiple Regression and Correlation
Some of the concepts and ideas in these programs are new and may be of interest to other computation centers. Hence they are described below. The programs were written in the Remington Rand UNICODE language. Thus it would not be difficult to translate them into any other algebraic language, such as ALGOL, FORTRAN, or IT.
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