Rich kids are into COBOL

[Dave G4UGM]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of ANDY
> HOLT
> Sent: 28 February 2015 07:38
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> Subject: Re: Rich kids are into COBOL
> 
> > (about B and C)
> 
> > Its history is deeper than that. Its part of a family of bracketed languages
> that started with BCPL which became "B" and then "C".
> > BCPL was written for the IBM7090.
> 
> I think you are mistaken about this - BCPL was an implementation language
> for CPL mainly on the Atlas computers.
> It was originated by Martin Richards - who is still a supporter – see
> http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mr10/

And of course the 1967 BCPL manual for BCPL is on Dennis Ritchie's "in memoriam" home page...

http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/dmr/index.html

which in many ways explains why BCPL was such an influence on K&R when they invented "B" and "C". I hadn't realized that Martin had worked at MIT or that BCPL was used there. I had assumed it was an "obscure" Cambridge thing. Apparently not...

Dave Wade
Still looking for any remnants of a "B" compiler ....