Automatic network calculation(ID:2043/)

Flowchart input language 

Flowchart input language for GP (FLEXMATIC)
Related languages
GP => Automatic network calculation   Visual language for
References:
  • Thuring, Bruno, "Automatische Programmierung dargestellt an der Univac Fac-Tronic" [Automatic programming representation for the Univac Fac Tronic] Teil 2 view details
          in Thuring, Bruno "Einfahrung in die Methoden der Programmierung kaufmannischer und wissenschaftlicher Probleme fur elektronische Rechenanlagen" Robert Goller Verlag, BadenBaden, 1958. view details
  • Carr, John W. Review of Thuring 1958 view details Extract: Review
    This book is the second volume of two by Thuring; the other is reviewed in (MR 20, 1432). This volume departs from the previous "algorithmic" approach to concentrate on usage of the Univac I digital computer. The first half of the book gives the instruction code and programming details for that machine.

    The second half gives a very thorough account of a most important development in digital computer programming, the "GP Compiler" (Generalized Programming) developed by A. Holt and W. Turanski for the Univac I. This latter program is a translator and assembly program (compiler) that allows any program written for the machine to be filed away automatically in a library for later call in by future programs. The mechanics of tying together variables with different names in different programs is described as being performed automatically during the translation and assembly of a "main program" or algorithm. Although other features, including automatic symbolic address assignment, are present, the automatic library making feature is by far the greatest contribution of this procedure. The author gives a thorough account of programs written in this language and their translation, and lists the library for the system at the time of publication.

          in ACM Computing Reviews, January-December 1960 view details
  • Thuring, Bruno "Automatische Netzrechnung" [Automatic network calculation). view details
          in Elektr. Datenverarbeitung Nr. 1 [June l960),1-6 view details
  • Holt, Anatol review of Thuring 1960 view details Abstract: The paper is concerned with a method for converting a flowchart representation of a problem, together with separately given descriptions of the operations mentioned in the flowchart, into a compiled machine program. Over and above a macro-assembly system (indeed, the translation described uses such an assembly system as second major stage), the flowchart conversion is aimed at mechaeizing the transition from a two-dimensional diagram with many boxes and lots of branching, into an equivalent one-dimensional sequence of macro-instructions and tests, i.e., flowchart connectivity is replaced by address connectivity. The prime object is to avoid the clerical errors normally attendant on a manual translation of the same sort.

    First described is a method of naming the branches of a binary tree. A flowchart with convergent paths and cycles is to be regarded as a binary tree with the superposition of some nodes on others. Based on this picture, a scan of flowcharts is characterized by describing a sequence of standard scan output items-one per branchpoint-obtained by reading the flowchart from START to STOP. The input flowcharts are only visually presented, their exact fond for machine processing not being described. The standard items into which the flowchart is first converted contain: (a) a branchpoint number (or numbers) based on flhe above mentioned number scheme; (b) identification of the flowchart portion (possibly involving several flowchart boxes) which leads to this branchpoint; (c) identification of the test which leads to this branching. Once this standard item form has been obtained, it is translated into a sequence of macro-instructions (corresponding to the operation boxes of the flowchart) and generated test nstructions corresponding to the branchpoints. The paper characterizes this translation step only by giving a sample flowchart, showing the standard item sequence which it yields, and finally showing the finished generated instructions, written in Fleximatic code for the UNIVAC FACTRONIC. How this translation step proceeds, or what advantage is taken of the specific properties of the branch point numbering scheme, is left to the reader's imaginadon. The subject technique is the basis for an actually Operating compiling system for the UNIVAC FACTRONIC. lhe input flowchart is translated into a FLEXIMATIC program and then compiled by the FLEXIMATIC (alias GENERALIZED PROGRAMMING) compiler into UNIVAC machine code

          in ACM Computing Reviews 2(02) March-April 1961 view details