Differences between version 7 and revision by previous author of Algol.
Other diffs: Previous Major Revision, Previous Revision, or view the Annotated Edit History
| Newer page: | version 7 | Last edited on Thursday, July 28, 2005 1:26:06 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
| Older page: | version 6 | Last edited on Sunday, April 24, 2005 12:08:23 am | by BobRiemersma | Revert |
@@ -1,15 +1,19 @@
!!! [Algol] 60
-It was a simple
[Pascal]-like language (actually
, the predecessor to [Pascal]) meant
for expressing mathematical algorithms
. The uglier language
[Fortran
] was already being used for this
, and had
the support
of [IBM], so
[Algol] 60 never really took off
. Many systems
programming extensions of
[Algol] were created in
the 60s
, notably by Burroughs Corporation, which merged with Sperry Corporation in 1986 to form
the Unisys Corporation. Unisys continues
to produce mainframe computers that run the MCP operating system, for which systems programming and application programming are still widely done in Algol 60 derived languages such as NEWP, Algol, DCAlgol, and DMAlgol
.
+The principal contemporary statically typed ProgrammingLanguage.
It is very similar to
[Pascal], its successor, and its machine model remains
the foundation
for all the popular statically typed languages
. [C
], [C++], [Java], [CSharp]
and others are variations of various extents on
the machine model
of [Algol]. Their
programming paradigm is fundamentally identical. (ObjectOrientation is ''not'' a programming paradigm; it's a modelling paradigm.)
[Algol] is also
the language that introduced static scoping
, and
the first one
to have a context-free grammar; BackusNaurForm was invented to describe it
.
-The first ProgrammingLanguage with a context-free grammar (BackusNaurForm
was invented
to describe it)
. Introduced static
scoping.
+[Algol], as its name implies,
was meant for expressing mathematical algorithms. It never really took off because the much uglier [Fortran] already occupied that role and had [IBM]'s corporate backing.
+
+It was also extended for systems programming in the '60s, notably by Burroughs Corporation, which merged with Sperry Corporation in 1986
to form the Unisys Corporation
. To this day, Unisys build MainFrame~s that run the MCP OperatingSystem where [Algol] 60 derivatives such as NEWP, Algol, DCAlgol and DMAlgol are the main vehicle of systems and application programming. In the rest of the world, though, the rise of [Unix] hoisted [C] into that role.
+
+Thus, it lives on mainly through its heritage: the machine model and the impact of structured programming enabled by lexical
scoping.
!!! [Algol] 68
A general purpose successor to [Algol] 60 designed by a committee over many years -- too many years. History passed it by and the end result was considered too complex to implement efficiently on computers of the day, although the few programmers who did get to use it love it.
-Introduced augmented assignment (<tt>+=</tt> <tt>-=</tt> <tt>*=</tt> <tt>/=</tt> etc).
+Introduced augmented assignment (<tt>+=</tt>,
<tt>-=</tt>,
<tt>*=</tt>,
<tt>/=</tt> etc).
!!! [Algol] W (1965)
By CharlesAntonyRichardHoare and NicolasWirth (the "W" in "[Algol] W"). Not very widely used, but influential on later languages in its features; [Pascal] often gets credit for invention of a number of things that actually appeared first in [Algol]-W or other languages.
