When it comes to McCracken I feel a bit like Homer Simpson "Donuts ... is there anything they can't do?" He certainly made a career out of writing programming language instruction texts.
-----Original Message----- From: cctech [mailto:cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Norman Jaffe via cctech Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2021 10:26 AM To: General Discussion, On-Topic Posts Only Subject: Re: Early Programming Books I have two books on ALGOL 60 from 1962 - A Guide to ALGOL Programming, Daniel D. McCracken A Primer Of ALGOL 60 Programming, E.W. Dijkstra For APL, there is this from 1962 - A Programming Language, Kenneth E. Iverson However, I also have a reference from 1960 - LISP I Programmer's Manual, J. McCarthy et al. From: "General Discussion, On-Topic Posts Only" <cctech@classiccmp.org> To: "Paul Birkel" <pbir...@gmail.com>, "General Discussion, On-Topic Posts Only" <cctech@classiccmp.org>, "dave g4ugm" <dave.g4...@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2021 5:57:08 AM Subject: Re: Early Programming Books On 2021-06-20 1:39 p.m., Paul Birkel via cctech wrote: > Dave; > > I'm much more curious about programming books that were *not* machine > specific. > That is, about "general principles" of designing/preparing software for > execution. Not sure if it's what you are looking for, but if you haven't, check out "Classic Operating Systems" by Per Brinch Hansen. > > Of course, one needs a language; McCracken (1957) defines TYDAC. > Much later (1968) Knuth defines MIX. > > In between perhaps one could argue that ALGOL 58 qualifies as such a > language-for-demonstration, but I don't believe that there were any books > specifically about programming in ALGOL 58. I presume that there were > eventually such books for ALGOL 60. Pretty sure I own one, by Dijkstra. Will get details later if you are interested. --Toby > > Then there's FORTRAN, in which context I first encountered McCracken (1961: > Guide to FORTRAN Programming). > > Obviously my first example was EDSAC-centric. And yours is specific to the > Manchester MK1. > > -----Original Message----- > From: dave.g4...@gmail.com [mailto:dave.g4...@gmail.com] > Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2021 6:57 AM > To: 'Paul Birkel'; 'General Discussion: On-Topic Posts' > Subject: RE: Early Programming Books > > Paul, > What about machine specific manuals, so for example the Manchester MK1 > programming manual, the second edition of which is archived here:- > > https://web.archive.org/web/20090526192456/http://www.computer50.org/kgill/m > ark1/progman.html > > In fact I expect that first book refers specifically to EDSAC, so is in > effect machine specific. There must have been similar manuals for other > machines? > > I know there is a Ferranti Pegasus Programming manual, the copy I have is > dated 1962 but as the last Pegasus was produced in 1959 there must have been > earlier editions. > > Dave > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: cctech <cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Paul Birkel via >> cctech >> Sent: 20 June 2021 09:44 >> To: 'General Discussion: On-Topic Posts' <cctech@classiccmp.org> >> Subject: Early Programming Books >> >> I know of two early computer (in the stored program sense) programming >> books. >> >> 1951: Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer > (Wilkes, Wheeler, & Gill) >> 1957: Digital Computer Programming (McCracken) >> >> What others were published prior to the McCracken text? >> >> Excluded are lecture compendia and symposia proceedings, such as: >> >> 1946: Moore School Lectures >> 1947: Proceedings of a Symposium on Large-Scale Digital Calculating > Machinery >> 1951: Proceedings of a Second Symposium on Large-Scale Digital > Calculating Machinery >> 1953: Faster Than Thought, A Symposium On Digital Computing Machines >> >> These were principally about designs for, and experience with, new > hardware. >> >> I'm curious about texts specifically focused on the act of programming. >> Were there others prior to McCracken? >> >> paul > >
