HAL(ID:4411/hal001)

Spaceflight language 

Spaceflight language at NASA, developed for the Shuttle amongst other things. According to Battin, named for computer pioneer Hal Laning, not he rogue copmuter from 2001

Had lmited 2-dimensional code capabilities
Related languages
HAL => CS-4   Influence
HAL => HAL/S   Evolution of
References:
  • Miller, J.S. "Two-Dimensional Characteristics of HAL, A Language for Spaceflight Applications" view details Abstract: A contribution to software quality is realized in the HAL language implementation by distinguishing the source-language input format from that of the listing produced by the compiler. The two-dimensional features of the source text may be fully supplied by the compiler, and include natural expression of subscripts and exponents of variables, and distinctive marking of data types and organizations.

          in Proceedings of the SIGPLAN symposium on Two-dimensional man-machine communication 1972 , Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States view details
  • Sammet, Jean E. "Roster of Programming Languages for 1973" p147 view details
          in ACM Computing Reviews 15(04) April 1974 view details
  • The Higher Order Language Working Group (HOLWG) Working Paper on 23 exisitng programming languages view details
          in ACM Computing Reviews 15(04) April 1974 view details
  • Battin, R. H. "Space guidance evolution - A personal narrative" Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, vol. 5, Mar.-Apr. 1982, pp97-110 view details Extract: Origins of MITILAC
    Since MAC was not then available on our IBM 650, some of the early analysis of the Atlas guidance system was made using a program, which Bob O'Keefe, Mary Petrick, and I developed, known as the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory Automatic Coding 650 Program or, simply, MITILAC. We modeled the coding format to resemble that used for the CPC. to minimize the transitional shock to those laboratory engineers who, though still uncomfortable with the digital computer, were beginning to wean themselves away from their more familiar analog devices. Extract: Origin of HAL name
    Since the principal architect of HAL was Jim Miller, who co-authored with Hal Laning a report on the MAC system, it is a reasonable speculation that the space shuttle language is named for Jim?s old mentor, and not, as some have suggested, for the electronic superstar of the Arthur Clarke movie "2001-A Space Odyssey."

          in ACM Computing Reviews 15(04) April 1974 view details