The History of Language Processor Technology in IBM

From IBM

The History of Language Processor Technology in IBM is written by F. E. Allen. The history of language processor technology in IBM is described in this paper. Most of the paper is devoted to compiler technology; interpreters, assemblers, and macro systems are discussed briefly. The emphasis is on scientific contributions tions and technological advances from a historical perspective. The synergistic relationship between theory and practice is a sub theme.
Introduction
In 1953 IBM introduced an early “automatic-programming” system: Speed code for the IBM 701 computer. The goal of the system was to [l] “. . . lessen the enormous burdens of the programmer by providing a larger and more convenient instruction repertoire than a given machine provides.” In the same paper John Backus and Harlan Herrick go on to state: “There are two principal methods by which automatic-programming systems make these non machine operations available to the programmer: the interpretive method and the compiling method.” In the almost 30 years that have intervened since these observations were first made, methods for
solving “the programming problem” have become more diverse and sophisticated, but the basic problem remains. Language processors-compilers, interpreters, macro systems, and assemblers-are still the principal methods used. In this paper we trace the history of IBM’s contributions to the techniques used in today’s language processors. The paper concentrates on IBM’s scientific and technological contributions, covering only widely used, general purpose techniques or those of particular scientific or historical interest....

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