Source:
Concepts of Programming Languages, Robert W. Sebesta.
Chapter 2: Evolution of the Major Programming Languages, page 107-110
By:
Name : Helena Natanael
NIM : 1801380333
Review Question:
6. What hardware capability that first appeared in the IBM 704 computer strongly affected the evolution of programming languages? Explain why.
It's the inclusion of floating-point hardware that strongly affected the evolution of the programming languages, it removed the hiding place for the cost of interpretation and heralded the end of the interpretive era, at least for scientific computation.
7. In what year was the Fortran design project begun?
The Fortran design project begun by November 1954. John Backus and his group at IBM had produced the report titled “The IBM Mathematical FORmula TRANslating System: FORTRAN” (IBM, 1954). This document described the first version of Fortran, which we refer to as Fortran 0, prior to its implementation.
8. What was the primary application area of computers at the time Fortran was designed?
Scientific programming was the primary computer application area at the time Fortran was designed.
9. What was the source of all of the control flow statements of Fortran I?
All of Fortran I’s control statements were based on 704 instructions. It is not clear whether the 704 designers dictated the control statement design of Fortran I or whether the designers of Fortran I suggested these instructions to the 704 designers.
10. What was the most significant feature added to Fortran I to get Fortran II?
The most significant feature in Fortran II was the independent compilation of subroutines. Without independent compilation, any change in a program required that the entire program be recompiled. Fortran I’s lack of independent-compilation capability, coupled with the poor reliability of the 704, placed a practical restriction on the length of programs to about 300 to 400 lines.
Problem Set:
6. Make an educated guess as to the most common syntax error in LISP programs.
The most common syntax error in LISP programs is probably the incorrect placement of parentheses or incomplete parentheses (missing closing parentheses or opening parentheses).
7. LISP began as a pure functional language but gradually acquired more and more imperative features. Why?
The main reason why imperative features were put in LISP was to increase its execution efficiency.
8. Describe in detail the three most important reasons, in your opinion, why ALGOL 60 did not become a very widely used language.
1. Too much flexibility in ALGOL60 reduced the readability of the program and understanding of the user.
2. ALGOL 60 lacks of input and output statement. It was another major reason for its lack of acceptance. Implementation-dependent input/output made programs difficult to port to other computers.
3. Lack of support from IBM, who was at the time the popular company for using computer languages.
9. Why, in your opinion, did COBOL allow long identifiers when Fortran and ALGOL did not?
COBOL allowed long identifiers because COBOL was more like reporting language than Fortran and ALGOL. If the programs used standard mathematical notation, it would be harder to read te programs, so COBOL used long identifiers to made it easier to read the programs. In the other hand, Fortran was a much older language that was built during a time of very little memory leaving little room for long identifiers.
10. Outline the major motivation of IBM in developing PL/I.
By the early 1960s, the users of computers in industry had settled into two separate and quite different camps: scientific and business. IBM wanted to design a single universal computer that would be capable of doing both floating-point and decimal arithmetic, and therefore both scientific and business applications. So, that motivated IBM to develop PL/I.
By:
Name : Helena Natanael
NIM : 1801380333
Review Question:
6. What hardware capability that first appeared in the IBM 704 computer strongly affected the evolution of programming languages? Explain why.
It's the inclusion of floating-point hardware that strongly affected the evolution of the programming languages, it removed the hiding place for the cost of interpretation and heralded the end of the interpretive era, at least for scientific computation.
7. In what year was the Fortran design project begun?
The Fortran design project begun by November 1954. John Backus and his group at IBM had produced the report titled “The IBM Mathematical FORmula TRANslating System: FORTRAN” (IBM, 1954). This document described the first version of Fortran, which we refer to as Fortran 0, prior to its implementation.
8. What was the primary application area of computers at the time Fortran was designed?
Scientific programming was the primary computer application area at the time Fortran was designed.
9. What was the source of all of the control flow statements of Fortran I?
All of Fortran I’s control statements were based on 704 instructions. It is not clear whether the 704 designers dictated the control statement design of Fortran I or whether the designers of Fortran I suggested these instructions to the 704 designers.
10. What was the most significant feature added to Fortran I to get Fortran II?
The most significant feature in Fortran II was the independent compilation of subroutines. Without independent compilation, any change in a program required that the entire program be recompiled. Fortran I’s lack of independent-compilation capability, coupled with the poor reliability of the 704, placed a practical restriction on the length of programs to about 300 to 400 lines.
Problem Set:
6. Make an educated guess as to the most common syntax error in LISP programs.
The most common syntax error in LISP programs is probably the incorrect placement of parentheses or incomplete parentheses (missing closing parentheses or opening parentheses).
7. LISP began as a pure functional language but gradually acquired more and more imperative features. Why?
The main reason why imperative features were put in LISP was to increase its execution efficiency.
8. Describe in detail the three most important reasons, in your opinion, why ALGOL 60 did not become a very widely used language.
1. Too much flexibility in ALGOL60 reduced the readability of the program and understanding of the user.
2. ALGOL 60 lacks of input and output statement. It was another major reason for its lack of acceptance. Implementation-dependent input/output made programs difficult to port to other computers.
3. Lack of support from IBM, who was at the time the popular company for using computer languages.
9. Why, in your opinion, did COBOL allow long identifiers when Fortran and ALGOL did not?
COBOL allowed long identifiers because COBOL was more like reporting language than Fortran and ALGOL. If the programs used standard mathematical notation, it would be harder to read te programs, so COBOL used long identifiers to made it easier to read the programs. In the other hand, Fortran was a much older language that was built during a time of very little memory leaving little room for long identifiers.
10. Outline the major motivation of IBM in developing PL/I.
By the early 1960s, the users of computers in industry had settled into two separate and quite different camps: scientific and business. IBM wanted to design a single universal computer that would be capable of doing both floating-point and decimal arithmetic, and therefore both scientific and business applications. So, that motivated IBM to develop PL/I.
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