ECSL(ID:254/ecs002)Extended Continuous Simulation Languagefor Extended CSL. Discrete simulation language, successor to CSL. Eschewed Fortran component so it would not put off non-programmers. Those features left in CSLII. According to Nance 93, EDSIM reintegrated Fortran and the CSL-style simulation Related languages
References: C.S.L. had been published (Buxton et al., 1962) and available for two years before Courtaulds decided to redevelop it for their own computers (Courtaulds Ltd., 1964). Up to that time, C.S.L. had only been available on a service bureau basis and was rather expensive to run; Courtaulds started this work because they were anxious to have a complete range of software available at their own installation. These realizations of C.S.L. were not, like the first, prompted by a particular urgent project so that we could afford to sit back and carefully study the methods to be adopted and the language used. Considerable care was taken to extend the source language to attempt to overcome the limitations of C.S.L. discovered by previous users. This paper will concentrate on these extensions and the compiling methods used, since the original language has already been published in this journal (Buxton et al., 1962). The paper describes two projects simultaneously-the provision of compilers for the Honeywell 400 and the Honeywell 200 series (the latter being sponsored by Honeywell Controls Limited). Each compiler was written and tested by one man working for one year. Many of the extensions which E.C.S.L. allows are catered for, in rather different ways, in C.S.L. 2 (Buxton, 1966) which was produced by IBM during the same period. C.S.L. was originally compiled into FORTRAN. This was clearly undesirable in this case because the performance of the FORTRAN compilers for these computers was not known at the time. Secondly, many of the limitations on C.S.L. were necessary only because of the restrictions on FORTRAN. But by far the most important reason was the need for an improved and efficient communication between the computer system and the programmer. In particular we wished to make it easy for the programmer to proceed successfully without any knowledge of other, more basic, programming languages. in The Computer Journal 9(3) 1966 view details [321 programming languages with indication of the computer manufacturers, on whose machinery the appropriate languages are used to know. Register of the 74 computer companies; Sequence of the programming languages after the number of manufacturing firms, on whose plants the language is implemented; Sequence of the manufacturing firms after the number of used programming languages.] in The Computer Journal 9(3) 1966 view details The exact number of all the programming languages still in use, and those which are no longer used, is unknown. Zemanek calls the abundance of programming languages and their many dialects a "language Babel". When a new programming language is developed, only its name is known at first and it takes a while before publications about it appear. For some languages, the only relevant literature stays inside the individual companies; some are reported on in papers and magazines; and only a few, such as ALGOL, BASIC, COBOL, FORTRAN, and PL/1, become known to a wider public through various text- and handbooks. The situation surrounding the application of these languages in many computer centers is a similar one. There are differing opinions on the concept "programming languages". What is called a programming language by some may be termed a program, a processor, or a generator by others. Since there are no sharp borderlines in the field of programming languages, works were considered here which deal with machine languages, assemblers, autocoders, syntax and compilers, processors and generators, as well as with general higher programming languages. The bibliography contains some 2,700 titles of books, magazines and essays for around 300 programming languages. However, as shown by the "Overview of Existing Programming Languages", there are more than 300 such languages. The "Overview" lists a total of 676 programming languages, but this is certainly incomplete. One author ' has already announced the "next 700 programming languages"; it is to be hoped the many users may be spared such a great variety for reasons of compatibility. The graphic representations (illustrations 1 & 2) show the development and proportion of the most widely-used programming languages, as measured by the number of publications listed here and by the number of computer manufacturers and software firms who have implemented the language in question. The illustrations show FORTRAN to be in the lead at the present time. PL/1 is advancing rapidly, although PL/1 compilers are not yet seen very often outside of IBM. Some experts believe PL/1 will replace even the widely-used languages such as FORTRAN, COBOL, and ALGOL.4) If this does occur, it will surely take some time - as shown by the chronological diagram (illustration 2) . It would be desirable from the user's point of view to reduce this language confusion down to the most advantageous languages. Those languages still maintained should incorporate the special facets and advantages of the otherwise superfluous languages. Obviously such demands are not in the interests of computer production firms, especially when one considers that a FORTRAN program can be executed on nearly all third-generation computers. The titles in this bibliography are organized alphabetically according to programming language, and within a language chronologically and again alphabetically within a given year. Preceding the first programming language in the alphabet, literature is listed on several languages, as are general papers on programming languages and on the theory of formal languages (AAA). As far as possible, the most of titles are based on autopsy. However, the bibliographical description of sone titles will not satisfy bibliography-documentation demands, since they are based on inaccurate information in various sources. Translation titles whose original titles could not be found through bibliographical research were not included. ' In view of the fact that nany libraries do not have the quoted papers, all magazine essays should have been listed with the volume, the year, issue number and the complete number of pages (e.g. pp. 721-783), so that interlibrary loans could take place with fast reader service. Unfortunately, these data were not always found. It is hoped that this bibliography will help the electronic data processing expert, and those who wish to select the appropriate programming language from the many available, to find a way through the language Babel. We wish to offer special thanks to Mr. Klaus G. Saur and the staff of Verlag Dokumentation for their publishing work. Graz / Austria, May, 1973 in The Computer Journal 9(3) 1966 view details ECSL, developed for Courtaulds Ltd. by the originators of CSL, became a popular language in the UK. ECSL departed from the heavy emphasis on FORTRAN of CSL, and Clementson (1966, p. 215) with the expressed intent to embrace users who were non-programmers relied heavily on the entity-cycle diagrams for model input. ECSL was the target language for CAPS (Computer Aided Programming System), the first interactive program generator (Mathewson 1975). in The 27th Winter Simulation Conference 3-6 December 1995 Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, VA view details |