A language-oriented computer design

  • Authors:
  • Clay McFarland

  • Affiliations:
  • First Business Computing Corporation, Dallas, Texas

  • Venue:
  • AFIPS '70 (Fall) Proceedings of the November 17-19, 1970, fall joint computer conference
  • Year:
  • 1970

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Abstract

Learning to program in a general-purpose, high-level language is a formidable task for a person who simply wishes to use the computer to solve his problems. He must learn how to express his problems in algorithmic form in the language, the constraints and idiosyncrasies of the language, and the mechanics of running a program on his computer. If he wishes his programs to be efficient, he must learn which constructions in the language use the machine effectively and which do not. This is complicated by the unpleasant fact that effectiveness in the language may not correspond to effectiveness in the machine. A concise, well constructed statement may use much more machine time than an ungainly structure that does the same thing.