2 ms·
It is sort of angels dancing on pins but who came first between cobol, Fortran and Algol is curious. Even this article seems to be putting Algol afterwards. It
by jleyank 4y ago
It is sort of angels dancing on pins but who came first between cobol, Fortran and Algol is curious. Even this article seems to be putting Algol afterwards. It was a more collective language, but I didn’t see it penetrate as much as remain a discussion topic. Perhaps the thread through C gave it entrance?
And then there’s basic…. Maybe that is just pidgin, giving those who could not speak at all some words?
- surprisetalk 4y agoI've always considered Fortran to be the "first", but with some quick research, it looks like Algol was the first C-like lang to add an if/then statement. My guess is that the author was trying to approximate modern imperative programming. [1] https://craftofcoding.wordpress.com/2021/01/11/why-algol-bested-fortran-for-a-bit/ https://craftofcoding.wordpress.com/2021/01/11/why-algol-bes...
- AnimalMuppet 4y agoFortran was the first compiled language, that is, the first language at a level higher than assembler. But Algol was a block-structured language in a way that Fortran wasn't, and virtually all languages of that "group" are block-structured today ("goto considered harmful" and all that). So Algol is more appropriate as the "prototype" of what exists today.
- bloak 4y agoMercury Autocode is perhaps a "missing link" between assembler and Fortran, though I'm not sure of the dates and whether the people developing Fortran knew about Mercury Autocode. Things developed quite fast in the 1950s.