Where does programming come from? 1

[x508]

Hi,

Curiosity has caught me again.

If X was used to develope VB, what was used to develope
X...... Y perhaps? If so, what was used to develope Y?

Did somebody really just wake up one day and found a C editor on his PC?

So my question is this....

Where did it all begin?

**********************************
May the Code Be With You...
----------
x50-8 (X Fifty Eigt)

 

[CajunCenturion]

Well, not quite 200 years.

The Jacquard Loom was built in 1801. Babbage built the prototype of the Difference Engine from 1812-1822. Hollerinth first used punched cards for the 1890 census.

The German engineer Konrad Zuse began building the Z1 to solve simultaeous equations in 1936, with the Z3 completed in 1941 using celuloid strips for control and employing binary data, while argueable the first working electronic computer COLOSSUS, was built and used by the British government for code cracking in the early 1940's while the Harvard Mark I become operational in 1944.

The more popularly known first electronic computer ENIAC became operational in 1945. Perhaps one of our UK experts may provide more accurate info, but it's my understanding that COLOSSUS couldn't really claim it's status as the first because it was not declassified until the mid 1970's.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[johnwm]

For the first landmark in modern computing, read this article on the Babbage Analytical Engine. If only he'd had the hardware to run the ideas on, rather than brass and steam!

http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/sketch.html

It illustrates use of stored programs, variables, constants and logic tests, along with temporary (scratchpad) memory - in fact almost all the elements of modern computing.

BTW, his co-worker has a modern computer language named after her. She was Lady Ada Lovelace

As far as modern electronic commercial computing is concerned, it's the UK again:

http://www.leo-computers.org.uk/pageone.htm

________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

'People who live in windowed environments shouldn't cast pointers.'

 

[petevick]

I've never heard of the Lovelace language, sounds rather romantic tho. >takes tongue out of cheek<

Pete Vickerstaff - Hedra Software

http://www.hedrasoftware.co.uk

 

[johnwm]

So you've never heard of Linda then?

________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

'People who live in windowed environments shouldn't cast pointers.'

 

[strongm]

There's a follow-up line to that...which I'm not going to type, as it would be bound to get a Red Flag (and quite rightly so )

 

[CajunCenturion]

Too funny. But I guess as long as we engage is such smalltalk while sipping our java, speaking of course, without a lisp and sticking to the basics, we should be able to go forth with a jovial conversation and drop perls of wisdom without the feared red-flag. We just can get to ADAmount about it.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[msay]

Didn't Al Gore invent programming?