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Language peer sets for FACT:
United States
United States/1958
Designed 1958
1950s languages
Second generation
Early Cold War
Genus COBOL coeval
Business Data Processing
COBOL coeval
COBOLs
Data processing
COBOL coeval/1958
COBOLs/1958
Data processing/1958
COBOL coeval/United States
COBOLs/United States
Data processing/United States
Business Data Processing
Business Data Processing/1958
Business Data Processing/us

FACT(ID:68/fac006)

Fully Automated Compiling Technique 

alternate simple view
Country: United States
Designed 1958
Published: 1958
Genus: COBOL coeval
Sammet category: Business Data Processing


for Fully Automated Compiling Technique. Developed 1958 by Computer Sciences Corporation for Honeywell 800.  (AKA Honeywell-800 Business Compiler.)

Acoording to Rosen (1964), began when Honeywell contracted to Computer Usage Co for a FORTRAN compiler. That company formed Computer Sciences Corporation, and (drawing on current data generator languages like SURGE, 9PAC, FLOW-MATIC, GE Hanford and Commercial Translator) developed a data-centered language that exceeded what was to become the COBOL spec.

Important for being the first English-like programming language, and exerted considerable force on COBOL. Most features not included in the 1960 COBOL spec ended up in 1962 COBOL Extended

Also significant in that it was the first time that a hardware company contracted out the development of a language (and that company was formed for the purpose).

FInally significant in that it has  a segmented loader, also probably the first, which permitted the program to be loaded one segment at a time. This is turn meant an efficient code execution environment, as many porgrams could be run at the same time



Places
People:

Hardware:
Related languages
9PAC FACT   Influence
Algebraic Compiler FACT   Sibling
ARGUS FACT   Sibling
COMTRAN FACT   Influence
FLOW-MATIC FACT   Influence
Hanford Mark II FACT   Influence
SURGE FACT   Influence
FACT COBOL   Evolution of
FACT COBOL-61 Extended   Influence
FACT Honeywell-800 Business Compiler   Alias

References:
  • (1960) "ANNOUNCING FACT: FULLY AUTOMATIC COMPILING TECHNIQUE" Computers and Automation April 1960 Extract: Advert Copy
  • Charles J. Swift (1960) Charles J. Swift "Compiling connectives" Abstract DOI
          in [ACM] (1960) [ACM] CACM 3(06) June 1960
  • Clippinger (1960) Clippinger, R. F. "FACT -- A Business-Compiler: Description and Comparison with COBOL and Commercial Translator" pp239ff
          in Goodman (ed) (1961) Goodman, Richard (ed) "Annual Review in Automatic Programming" (2) 1961 Pergamon Press, Oxford
  • [Honeywell] (1961) "Honeywell EDP Presents A FEW QUICK FACTS ON SOFTWARE" Datamation October 1961 Extract: Honeywell FACT
          in Goodman (ed) (1961) Goodman, Richard (ed) "Annual Review in Automatic Programming" (2) 1961 Pergamon Press, Oxford
  • [BCS Bulletin] (1961) BCS Bulletin - Literature and References to Simplified Programming Schemes for Computers, Available or Projected - November 1961
          in Goodman (ed) (1961) Goodman, Richard (ed) "Annual Review in Automatic Programming" (2) 1961 Pergamon Press, Oxford
  • Blum (1961) Blum, E. K. review in ACM of Goodman (1961) Abstract Extract: Review
          in Goodman (ed) (1961) Goodman, Richard (ed) "Annual Review in Automatic Programming" (2) 1961 Pergamon Press, Oxford
  • Sammet, Jean E (1961) Sammet, Jean E "1960 Tower of Babel" diagram on the front of CACM January 1961 Picture: Cover of ACM Communications December 1961
          in [ACM] (1961) [ACM] CACM 4(01) (Jan 1961)
  • Weik, Martin H. (1961) Weik, Martin H. "A Third Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems" Rpt 1115, BRL, Maryland, 1961 Online copy at Computer History Museum
          in [ACM] (1961) [ACM] CACM 4(01) (Jan 1961)
  • Willey et al (1961) Willey, E.L.; d'Agapeyeff, A.; Marion Tribe, B.J. Gibbens, Michelle Clark, "Some commercial Autocodes -- A comparative study", A.P.I.C. Studies in Data Processing #1, Academic Press, London, 1961, pp. 53. Extract: FACT
          in [ACM] (1961) [ACM] CACM 4(01) (Jan 1961)
  • Barron (1962) Barron, D. W. review of Goodman, Richard (ed) "Annual Review in Automatic Programming", Vol. 2 Abstract Extract: COBOL, FACT, IBM Commercial Translator, SEAL
          in [Computer Bulletin] (1962) The Computer Bulletin June 1962
  • Bemer, R (1962) Bemer, R "ISO TC97/SC5/WGA(1) Survey of Programming Languages and Processors" December 1962
          in [ACM] (1963) [ACM] CACM 6(03) (Mar 1963)
  • Clippinger, I.R. (1962) Clippinger, I.R. "FACT"
          in (1962) The Computer Journal 5(1) April 1962
  • Clippinger, RF; (1962) Clippinger, RF; "Information algebra" Extract: COBOL, DETAB, IA and influences Extract: Basic concepts Extract: Property spaces Extract: Lines and functions of lines Extract: Areas and functions of areas Extract: Bundles and functions of bundles Extract: Glumps and functions of glumps
          in (1962) The Computer Journal 5(3) October 1962
  • d'Agapeyeff, A.; (1962) d'Agapeyeff, A.; "Current developments in commercial automatic programming" pp107-111 Abstract Extract: The properties of data Extract: FACT
          in (1962) The Computer Journal 5(2) July 1962
  • d'Agapeyeff, Alex (1962) d'Agapeyeff, Alex "An introduction to Commercial Compilers" Extract: Introduction Extract: The Main Requirements of a Commercial Compiler
          in Wegner, Peter (ed.) (1964) Wegner, Peter (ed.) "An Introduction to Systems Programming" proceedings of a Symposium held at the LSE 1962 (APIC Series No 2)
  • Greenfield, Martin N. (1962) Greenfield, Martin N. "Fact segmentation" pp307-315 Abstract Extract: Segmentation
          in [AFIPS JCC 21] Proceedings of the 1962 Spring Join (1962) [AFIPS JCC 21] Proceedings of the 1962 Spring Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco, Ca. SJCC 1962
  • Harwell, J. C. (1962) Harwell, J. C. "Programming in HONEYWELL FACT" pp178-198
          in Wegner, Peter (ed.) (1964) Wegner, Peter (ed.) "An Introduction to Systems Programming" proceedings of a Symposium held at the LSE 1962 (APIC Series No 2)
  • Kilner, Daphne (1962) Kilner, Daphne "Automatic Programming Languages for Business and Science" Abstract Extract: Aims Extract: FACT
          in (1962) The Computer Bulletin September 1962
  • McGee, William C. (1962) McGee, William C. "The property classification method of file design and processing" pp450-458 Abstract
          in [ACM] (1962) [ACM] CACM 5(08) August 1962
  • Bergstein, Harold (1963) Bergstein, Harold "Computerized reflections at CSC: an interview with Fletcher Jones, president, Computer Sciences Corp" Datamation March 1963 Extract: CSC developed language systems Abstract
          in [ACM] (1962) [ACM] CACM 5(08) August 1962
  • D'Agapeyeff, A.; Baecker, H. D.; and Gibbens, B. (1963) D'Agapeyeff, A.; Baecker, H. D.; and Gibbens, B. J. "Progress In Some Commercial Source Languages" pp277-298
          in Goodman (ed) (1963) Goodman, Richard (ed) "Annual Review in Automatic Programming" (3) 1963 Pergamon Press, Oxford
  • Glore, John B (1963) Glore, John B "Sorting nonredundant files—techniques used in the FACT compiler" Abstract
          in [ACM] CACM 6(05) May 1963 (1963) [ACM] CACM 6(05) May 1963 "Proceedings of ACM Sort Symposium, November 29, 30, 1962"
  • Harwell, J. C. (1963) Harwell, J. C. "How is FACT getting on?" Computer Bulletin 6(4) March 1963 pp137-138 Extract: How is FACT...
          in [ACM] CACM 6(05) May 1963 (1963) [ACM] CACM 6(05) May 1963 "Proceedings of ACM Sort Symposium, November 29, 30, 1962"
  • Hirschmann, W. (1963) Hirschmann, W. review of d'Agapeyeff 1962 (Comp J) Abstract
          in [ACM] (1963) ACM Computing Reviews 4(01) January-February, 1963
  • (1963) Keener, O review of Greenfield 1962 Abstract
          in [ACM] (1963) ACM Computing Reviews 4(01) January-February, 1963
  • (1963) Levenson, J, Review of Clippinger 1962 pp28-30 Abstract
          in [ACM] (1963) ACM Computing Reviews 4(01) January-February, 1963
  • (1963) Peck, JEL review of Harwell 1963 Abstract
          in (1963) ACM Computing Reviews 4(05) September-October 1963
  • Lumb, 0. S. (1964) Lumb, 0. S. "Experience of program development with FACT" Abstract
          in (1964) The Computer Journal 7(2) July 1964
  • Pollack, S. (1964) Pollack, S. L. review of D'Agapeyeff, 1963 Abstract
          in (1964) ACM Computing Reviews 5(05) September-October 1964
  • Rosen, Saul (1964) Rosen, Saul "Programming Systems and Languages: a historical Survey" (reprinted in Rosen, Saul (ed) Programming Systems & Languages. McGraw Hill, New York, 1967) Extract: FACT vs COBOL Extract: FACT
          in [AFIPS JCC 25] (1964) [AFIPS JCC 25] Proceedings of the 1964 Spring Joint Computer Conference SJCC 1964
  • Stoker, J. (1964) Stoker, J. W. review of Willey et al 1961
          in [ACR] (1964) ACM Computing Reviews 5(06) November-December 1964
  • Weik, Martin H. (1964) Weik, Martin H. "A Fourth Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems" Report No. 1227, January 1964 Ballistic Research Laboratories, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland Online copy at Computer History Museum
          in [ACR] (1964) ACM Computing Reviews 5(06) November-December 1964
  • Goldstein (1965) Goldstein, M. "Computer Languages" The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 72, No. 2, Part 2: Computers and Computing Feb., 1965 pp141-146 Extract: Languages scene
          in [ACR] (1964) ACM Computing Reviews 5(06) November-December 1964
  • Bachman, Charles W. (1966) Bachman, Charles W. "On a generalized language for file organization and manipulation" Extract: History
          in [ACM] (1966) [ACM] CACM 9(03) March 1966 includes proceedings of the ACM Programming Languages and Pragmatics Conference, San Dimas, California, August 1965
  • Sammet, Jean E., (1967) Sammet, Jean E., "Roster of Programming Languages 1967"
          in (1967) Computers & Automation 16(6) June 1967
  • Bemer, Robert W. (1968) Bemer, Robert W. "The PL/I Family Tree" Extract: Introduction Extract: Definition and Maintenance Extract: Introduction
          in (1968) PL/I Bulletin, Issue 6, March 1968
  • Sammet, Jean E. (1969) Sammet, Jean E. "Computer Languages - Principles and History" Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Prentice-Hall 1969. p.327.
          in (1968) PL/I Bulletin, Issue 6, March 1968
  • Stock (1971) Stock, Karl F. "A listing of some programming languages and their users" in RZ-Informationen. Graz: Rechenzentrum Graz 1971 95 Abstract
          in (1968) PL/I Bulletin, Issue 6, March 1968
  • Sammet, Jean E., (1972) Sammet, Jean E., "Programming languages: history and future"
          in [ACM] (1972) [ACM] CACM 15(06) (June 1972)
  • Sammet (1972) Sammet, Jean E., "Roster of Programming Languages 1972" 96
          in (1972) Computers & Automation 21(6B), 30 Aug 1972
  • Stock and Stock (1973) Stock, Marylene and Stock, Karl F. "Bibliography of Programming Languages: Books, User Manuals and Articles from PLANKALKUL to PL/I" Verlag Dokumentation, Pullach/Munchen 1973 223 Abstract
          in (1972) Computers & Automation 21(6B), 30 Aug 1972
  • Fry, James P.; Sibley, Edgar H. (1976) Fry, James P.; Sibley, Edgar H. "Evolution of Data-Base Management Systems"
          in [ACM] (1976) [ACM] ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR) 8(1) March 1976
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