ALGOL 68 Instead of Pascal? - Computerphile

TL;DR

Pascal and ALGOL 68 were contenders as programming languages in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with ALGOL 68 offering a unique two-level grammar. The implementation team at Malvin played a crucial role in the success of ALGOL 68.

Transcript

we've talked about pascal what happened in nottingham what happened in nottingham well there we were at the end of the 1960s turn of the 70s i had been appointed to do computer appreciation lectures for arts professors and lecturers and so on i did a little bit of programming and i did it in l60 algo 60 was also what we used because at that time we... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎚️ ALGOL 68 offered a novel two-level grammar that attracted a niche audience but did not gain widespread popularity.
• 😤 The implementation team at Malvin played a crucial role in developing a robust ALGOL 68 compiler, making the language suitable for teaching.
• 🚨 Pascal emerged as a better choice for non-specialists, while ALGOL 68 remained popular for advanced programming needs.
• 🙈 The influences of ALGOL 68 could be seen in the development of the C programming language.
• 🙇‍♀️ The contributions of women, such as Sue Bond, to the development of ALGOL 68 and computer science, deserve greater recognition and respect.
• 🅰️ ALGOL 68's approach to data types and manipulation offered advanced capabilities not easily accessible in Pascal.
• 😤 The success of ALGOL 68 was not solely reliant on the hardware infrastructure, as proved by the team at Malvin.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did ALGOL 68's two-level grammar impact its comparison with Pascal?

ALGOL 68's two-level grammar offered a new perspective on programming languages. However, the complexity and narrow appeal of this feature made it less suitable for widespread adoption. In terms of facilities and suitability for teaching, Pascal was a better choice.

Q: Were there concerns about the quality of compilers for both Pascal and ALGOL 68?

Yes, there were concerns about the compilers, especially when considering teaching large groups of students. Pascal compilers were seen as robust and suitable for teaching, while the implementation team at Malvin had developed a highly competent and successful ALGOL 68 compiler.

Q: How did ALGOL 68 address the manipulation of data types?

ALGOL 68 introduced the concept of types, referred to as "modes." It allowed for convenient abbreviations, but also emphasized the memory location or "referent" where the data was stored. ALGOL 68 even allowed for pointers to references, providing powerful manipulation capabilities.

Q: Did the implementation team at Malvin face challenges in developing the ALGOL 68 compiler?

The team at Malvin faced some restrictions in developing the ALGOL 68 compiler. They had to create a single-pass compiler for speed, which sometimes made declaring structures awkward. They also had to exclude certain costly features. Despite these challenges, they successfully implemented ALGOL 68.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the late 1960s, the speaker was appointed to give computer appreciation lectures using Pascal and ALGOL 68 programming languages.

• ALGOL 68 had a two-level grammar, which offered a new way of looking at programming languages, but was only appealing to a narrow minority.

• The implementation team at Malvin developed a robust and successful ALGOL 68 compiler, making it a suitable contender to be taught to computer science students.