A-0 programming language
Encyclopedia
The A-0 system written by Grace Hopper
in 1951 and 1952 for the UNIVAC I
, was the first compiler
ever developed for an electronic computer. The A-0 functioned more as a loader
or linker than the modern notion of a compiler. A program was specified as a sequence of subroutines and arguments. The subroutines were identified by a numeric code and the arguments to the subroutines were written directly after each subroutine code. The A-0 system converted the specification into machine code
that could be fed into the computer a second time to execute the program.
The A-0 system was followed by the A-1, A-2, A-3 (released as ARITH-MATIC
), AT-3 (released as MATH-MATIC
) and B-0 (released as FLOW-MATIC
).
Grace Hopper
Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was an American computer scientist and United States Navy officer. A pioneer in the field, she was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer, and developed the first compiler for a computer programming language...
in 1951 and 1952 for the UNIVAC I
UNIVAC I
The UNIVAC I was the first commercial computer produced in the United States. It was designed principally by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, the inventors of the ENIAC...
, was the first compiler
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
ever developed for an electronic computer. The A-0 functioned more as a loader
Loader (computing)
In computing, a loader is the part of an operating system that is responsible for loading programs. It is one of the essential stages in the process of starting a program, as it places programs into memory and prepares them for execution...
or linker than the modern notion of a compiler. A program was specified as a sequence of subroutines and arguments. The subroutines were identified by a numeric code and the arguments to the subroutines were written directly after each subroutine code. The A-0 system converted the specification into machine code
Machine code
Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions executed directly by a computer's central processing unit. Each instruction performs a very specific task, typically either an operation on a unit of data Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions...
that could be fed into the computer a second time to execute the program.
The A-0 system was followed by the A-1, A-2, A-3 (released as ARITH-MATIC
ARITH-MATIC
ARITH-MATIC is an extension of Grace Hopper's A-2 programming language, developed around 1955. ARITH-MATIC was originally known as A-3, but was renamed by the marketing department of Remington Rand UNIVAC.-External links:*...
), AT-3 (released as MATH-MATIC
MATH-MATIC
MATH-MATIC is the marketing name for the AT-3 compiler. Early programming language for UNIVAC I and UNIVAC II. Intended as an improvement over FORTRAN. Created by a group led by Charles Katz in 1957....
) and B-0 (released as FLOW-MATIC
FLOW-MATIC
FLOW-MATIC, originally known as B-0 , was the first English-like data processing language. It was developed for the UNIVAC I at Remington Rand under Grace Hopper.-Development:...
).