Google document translate gives a modestly useful result after OCRing the UT original scan (www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/MCReps/CR1957-009.PDF). Needs significant further work for readability :-<.
Deeker, et al. appear to approach the topic from the perspective of mathematics (that is, modestly abstractly) after introducing the standard von Neumann 5-part model of a machine. They keep that general description, mapping mathematical expressions to general operations within that model. TOC: 1. General Introduction to Automatic Calculators 2, The word 3. The number 4, The Command 5. Block diagrams 6. Subroutines I 7, An elaborate~ example 8. Subroutines II 9. Subroutines III 10. Speed 11. Scaling, Control and Flexibility 12. The Administrative Subroutine I 13. The Administrative Subroutine II 14. Super programs McCracken approaches the topic with the same von Neumann model of a machine but then proceeds from the perspective of a hypothetical "typical" instruction set and a modestly specific architecture (e.g. signed ten-digit storage). AFAICS neither envisions representations for characters/text and the processing thereof. Both in 1957. Something in the air :->? -----Original Message----- From: cctech [mailto:cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Paul Koning via cctech Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2021 5:06 PM To: Norman Jaffe; General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Subject: Re: Early Programming Books > On Jun 20, 2021, at 1:19 PM, Norman Jaffe via cctech <cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > Basically, pre-1960, there couldn't be a 'general book on programming', since every system was a unique environment - the only languages that could even be remotely considered to be common were ALGOL 60 and FORTRAN II... and they were 'extended' by every manufacturer to provide, at least, some form of I/O beyond line printers and punch card readers / punches or to support different character sets. True, unless you were to set out to write a general course on programming that doesn't dig down to the level of any particular assembly language or machine architecture. From a quick look, I think the 1957 course by Dekker, Dijkstra, and van Wijngaarden I mentioned in my previous note does just that. And that explains the title, "Programming automatic calculating machines" (as opposed to the more common "Programming the xyzzy-42 machine"). paul