FACT was an early computer programming language, created by the Datamatic Division of Minneapolis Honeywell

Honeywell

Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....

 for its model 800 series business computers in 1959. FACT was an acronym for "Fully Automated Compiling Technique". It was an influence on the design of the COBOL

COBOL

COBOL is one of the oldest programming languages. Its name is an acronym for COmmon Business-Oriented Language, defining its primary domain in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments....

 programming language.

Some of the design of FACT was based on the linguistic project Basic English

Basic English

Basic English, also known as Simple English, is an English-based controlled language created by linguist and philosopher Charles Kay Ogden as an international auxiliary language, and as an aid for teaching English as a Second Language...

, developed about 1925 by C.K. Ogden

Charles Kay Ogden

Charles Kay Ogden was an English linguist, philosopher, and writer. Described as a polymath but also an eccentric and outsider, he took part in many ventures related to literature, politics, the arts and philosophy, having a broad impact particularly as an editor, translator, and activist on...

.

The software was actually designed by Computer Sciences Corporation (Fletcher Jones, Roy Nutt, and Robert L. Patrick) under contract to Richard Clippinger of Honeywell.

Contributions to COBOL

FACT was an influence in the design of COBOL

COBOL

COBOL is one of the oldest programming languages. Its name is an acronym for COmmon Business-Oriented Language, defining its primary domain in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments....

, and is one of 3 predecessor languages credited in all COBOL manuals.

Several elements of FACT were incorporated into COBOL:

• Defining data as levels, with group items and elementary items.
• Assigning of initial values to data as it is being defined (VALUE clause).
• Specifying a limited list of literal values allowed in a specific field (88 level data items).
• A non-procedural report generator based on specifying the appearance of the desired report (Report Section in COBOL-66).
• Qualification of data-names (IN or OF clause).
• Group move of like-named items (MOVE CORRESPONDING).
• Validity checks on procedural statements (ON ERROR clause).
• Built-in SORT function.

Ever working?

There is some question if a working version of FACT was ever released by Honeywell. The language was designed, and a detailed specification released (see references), but it said that "Computer Sciences Corporation also has the contract to implement FACT", which seems to imply that they are still working on an implementation. About that time, the short range committee began developing COBOL, and Roy Nutt, 1 of the 3 principals of CSC began working with that committee on COBOL. It's not clear if he ever came back to implement FACT, or if Honeywell concentrated their programming effort on a COBOL compiler.
FACT was implemented - it was being used by Department of Defence (Australia) in the 1960s and early 70s.

Sample Program

A sample FACT program is located at page 79.

 (see above link)