Artifact Details

Title

Preliminary Report: Specifications for the IBM Mathematical FORmula TRANSlating System, FORTRAN

Catalog Number

102679231

Type

Document

Description

"This is the first formal proposal for the language FORTRAN and lists the elements of the language which are proposed to be included in the eventual implementation together with some suggestions for future extensions. It is interesting to match this proposal with the Programmer's Reference Manual published in 1957 (below) and to note that many of the ideas of later FORTRANs as well as ALGOL appear to have been given birth in this document." [Lee 1984]

"The FORTRAN 0 document represents the first attempt to define the syntax of a programming language rigorously. Backus's important notation, which eventually became `BNF' can be seen in embryonic form here." [Knuth and Trabb Pardo 1977]

Date

1954-11-10

Publisher

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

Extent

30

Category

Specifications

Collection Title

Fortran Archive

Credit

Gift of J.A.N. Lee

Lot Number

X2677.2004