AESOP(ID:278/aes001)Interactive query generating languagefor "An Evolutionary System for On-line Programming." Summers and Bennet MITRE Corp 1967 Interactive query system using a graphical interface with "Communication Tree" via a light pen, and made use of the TREET language internally Developed for IBM SHARE 7030. Structures: Related languages
References: The objectives of the system - flexibility, user control, and simplified language - appear to have been met to a large degree, as long as one is content to discourse about tabular arrays. In general, the prototype system has, for the somewhat limited data form, all of the features that are desirable in management-oriented on-line systems. The paper is vague about the manner of bulk data input to the data base, and the efficiency of the on-line processing language. This reviewer would also have been interested in the user acceptance of this system, and in comments concerning experience (even experimental) with it, from several levels of military management. The paper was marred by the poor reproduction of display output used to illustrate various features of the system. The illustrations were, for the most part, too small to read. I The paper is recommended reading for software and system planners who are interested in devising systems that can service management-oriented functions. in ACM Computing Reviews 6(03) May-June 1965 view details in [AFIPS JCC 28] Proceedings of the 1965 Fall Joint Computer Conference FJCC 1965 view details in Information System Science and Technology, D. Walker ed, 1967 view details in Systems and Procedures Journal 18(04) July-August 1967 view details in Information System Science and Technology, D. Walker ed, 1967 view details in Information System Science and Technology, D. Walker ed, 1967 view details A tree-structure display facilitates search and computational queries. Other characteristics of AESOP are adequately presented. Missing from the article, however, are hardware configuration, cost figures, and the development effort expended in creating this real-time, time-shared, direct-access management information system. This reviewer would also like to know how the system got its name. Aside from these omissions, this paper is recommended to all information processing specialists who are engaged in the development of real-time management information systems. in Information System Science and Technology, D. Walker ed, 1967 view details The advent of on-line techniques naturally is playing an important role in the development of query systems. One of the interesting examples of such a system is AESOP (An Evolutionary System for On-Line Processing), which was developed at the MITRE Corporation with a prototype running on the IBM 7030 (STRETCH). Heavy use is made of the display screen and a light pen. The latter is used both for causing immediate execution of system functions and for engaging in a preparatory interactive dialogue. AESOP is primarily oriented toward retrieving data from a data base, acting upon it, and restoring it. Input is from typewriter or light pen. The light pen is used to define the system mode, to select displayed abbreviations for frequently used simple commands, and to compose complex messages for data retrieval and file modifications. For example, a portion of the screen might display the mode names TABULAR, TREE, FILE MANIP, ERASE, and COPY. Another part or the screen shows SET FILES, CLEAR FILES, ADD FILES, and FINISH, If the user points to SET FILES, for example, the screen will display the names of all files in the system. Pointing to the desired names causes the system to display on the screen only those pointed to. Pointing to the name in its new position causes the first part of the file to be displayed. The TREE mode causes selected information to be displayed in the form of a tree. The user language tree is used to compose messages at the top of the screen. This technique greatly reduces the likelihood of composing illegal input messages. In particular, one such tree is part of the user language and is shown in Figure IX-48. The selection of the ERASE, COPY, or FILE MANIP modes results in the display of skeleton user messages at the top of the screen. The variable positions of these messages are filled in by using the light pen to select data from other parts of the screen. Any reader interested in more details on this system will find an excellent set of figures of many screen displays in the paper by Summers and Bennett [UT67]. in Information System Science and Technology, D. Walker ed, 1967 view details in ACM Computing Reviews 15(04) April 1974 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 ACM Computing Reviews 15(04) April 1974 view details |