DETAB/GT(ID:4406/det006)

Decision table language 

for DEcision TABle GeneraTor

German implementation of DETAB, created by Dr. Reinhold Thurner, of University of Zurich and Sodecon AG, Zurich. 1972. ?Part of his doctoral research?

Widely used throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the 70s

Structures:
Related languages
DETAB/65 => DETAB/GT   Evolution of
DETAB/GT => DELTA   Evolution of
References:
  • McDaniel, Herman "Decision Table Software: A Handbook" U.S. Civil Service Commission Brandon/Systems Press, Inc. Princeton view details
  • Thurner, Reinhold "Entscheidungs-Tabellen Technik. Programmierter Lehrgang. Zurich Thurner 1972 view details Abstract: Includes a description of a PL/I implementation of DETAB/GT
  • Thurner, Reinhold "Entscheidungstabellen, Aufbau - Anwendung - Programmierung VDI-Verlag Dusseldorf 1972 view details
  • THurner, R and Bauknecht, K "Procedural Decision Tables and their Implementation" p259-263 view details
          in Proceedings of the International Computing Symposium 1973, Davos view details
  • "Ein Superding für die Avantgarde" COMPUTERWOCHE Nr. 41 vom 10.10.1975 (Press release for DELTA) view details External link: Online copy
          in Proceedings of the International Computing Symposium 1973, Davos view details
  • Dr. Gerhard Maurer "Komplexe Probleme erfordern Organisations-Hilfsmittel für eine neue Software-Generation" (German Computer Week interview with the creator of DETAB/GT and DELTA) view details External link: Online copy External link: Translation of online article
          in COMPUTERWOCHE 44 (31.10.1975 view details
  • Entscheidungstabellentetchnik\Schnittstelle der Fachabteilung zur EDV (Feature article of DETAB/GT including some history) view details External link: Online copy Extract: Decision Table Symposium
    The use of decision tables has as a clear range of application, as conventional programming, and is hardly endangered by new techniques as for instance structured programming in the near future. Although they are substantially older, decision tables only became known some time after cinventional programming in Germany. Already in the mid-fifties in the USA General Electric employed this technology as medium of systems analysis. In 1962 the CODASYL-sponsored  "Decision Table Symposium" took place in New York, in consequence of which a new wave of technical literature devoted to this topic arose. At this time the first pre-processors were developed to enablke the transformation from decision tables to executable code. In 1965 it was above all the Association of Computer Machinery (ACM), that tried to make the decision table technology accessible for a broader group of users. While many users already announced in the middle of the sixties amazing rationalization successes, which are to due to the use of decision tables in the USA, the German market, as so often with new developments, was "almost spared" this. Only at the beginning of the seventies did discussion of decision tables begin in Germany in different specialized media. Special merit is due here to Horst Strunz and somewhat later Dr Reinhold Thurner, who drew attention to the possibilities of the use of decision tables in system planning, implementation and documentation in articles and seminars.
    [...]
    Most decision table processors in the employment are only inserted use the programming phase. This development is not welcome. The decision table technology is a procedure, which is suitable for specialized divisions, organization and programming equally. It is easily easy to learn and follows simple rules. It is unfortunate that the chance is not any longer used to improved communication between specialized divisions, organization and programming by uniform employment of this medium.
          in COMPUTERWOCHE 4 (24.01.1975) view details
  • Gastkommentar: "Die schwache Seite der Prozeßrechner". (Letters to the editor of Computer Week following a special guest editorial on the "Weakness of Computer Processing". Includes a letter by the inventor of DETAB/GT and Delta) view details External link: Online copy External link: Translation of Online copy
          in COMPUTERWOCHE 38(19) September 1975 view details
  • MDS-Verlust: 63 Millionen Mark PARSIPPANY, N. J. - Bei Erlösen von 170 Millionen Dollar machte Mohawk Data Sciences Corp. (MDS) im Geschäftsjahr 1975 einenVerlust von fast 26 Millionen Dollar (rund 63 Millionen Mark). MDS mußte im abgelaufenen Geschäf (Extensive discussion of fate of the DETAB/GT system) view details External link: Online copy
          in COMPUTERWOCHE 30 (25.07.1975) view details
  • Spiegel, W. "Entscheidungstabellengeneratoren Fuer PL/I" [Decision Table Generators for PL/I.] Elektron Rechenanlagen Comput Prax 17(6) December 1975 pp293-299 view details Abstract: Decision table generators or preprocessors are programs which translate decision tables into statements of problem oriented programming languages. Three of the best known decision table generators for PL/1 (in the German-speaking area) are investigated and compared with each other for some different points of view - DECTAT (IBM), DETAB/GT (SYSTOR) and VORELLE (mpb). The results of this investigation are valid only for the named versions of the three products.

          in COMPUTERWOCHE 30 (25.07.1975) view details
  • "DETAB GT für Assembler" (Announcement of V3-M1 DETAB/GT that output 360 Assembler) view details External link: Online copy External link: Translation of online copy Extract: Representation
    The tabular representation of the decision tables can now be affected by the user, optional dissolving of an extended indicator for exclusion or intersection, back-trace for the e-option. The last 50 continuous rules with the pertinent table name can be printed out.
          in COMPUTERWOCHE 5 (30.01.1976) view details
  • "Don Quichotte und die Entscheidungstabelle" (Don Quixote and the decision table - a defense of generators, GOTO, end-user empowerment through executable documentation) view details External link: Online copy
          in COMPUTERWOCHE 27 (01.07.1977) view details
  • "Normierte Programmierung: Wer ist der Esel? " ("Conventional programming - who is the donkey?" - a defence of generators in general and DETAB/GT and DELTA in aprticular) view details External link: Online copy
          in COMPUTERWOCHE 30 (21.07.1978) view details