CASSANDRE(ID:3011/cas009)Hardware simulation languageHardware simulation language Univ. Grenoble, Grenoble, France References: in Revue Francaise d'Informatique et de Recherche Operationnel Ie. Paris. 1968 2(15) view details in 3rd Symp. on Computer and Information Sciences, Software Engineering, COINS III, 1969 view details in Freiman, C. V. et al (Ed) Information Processing 71, Proceedings of IFIP Congress 71, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, August 23-28, 1971 view details in ACM Computing Reviews 12(06) June 1971 view details This paper is mainly devoted to the definition of the language and the description of some applications. From the Abstract Because of the limited number of pages (in this case seven pages of text and three pages of figures), a careful consideration should have been made of the paper's purpose, intended audience, and commensurate level of detail. It wasn't. A portion of formal syntax description, some semantic description, and fragmentary examples of use are intermixed in the paper. The avowed purpose of defining the CASSANDRE language is never fulfilled because no aspect of the description is ever complete enough for clarity. The description of the language's applications makes no distinction between which features are operational, which are planned, and which are just wishful thinking. The English is raggedy, but never as bad as that of the abstract. If the CASSANDRE system is a valuable tool at the University of Grenoble, this paper doesn't do it justice. in ACM Computing Reviews 14(05) May 1973 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 14(05) May 1973 view details in ACM Computing Reviews 14(05) May 1973 view details in ACM Computing Reviews 14(05) May 1973 view details |