root@decwrl.UUCP (02/20/84)
Message-Id: <8402201844.AA17875@decwrl.arpa> Date: Monday, 20 Feb 1984 10:48:43-PST From: gigi::fleischer (Bob Fleischer 231-2132 MRO3-2/E7 ECS) To: net.misc Subject: prehistoric computers -- even more on the LGP-30! The LGP-30 was also my first computer (1965). I programmed it in a (slightly) fortran-like language called "ACT III". The really outstanding thing that I remember about ACT II was that all tokens in the language were separated, not by white space, but by "stop codes". The "stop code" printed as an apostrophe (single quote), leading to rather unreadable code (apparently this made lexical analysis of the input far easier, since the programmer did it for the compiler!). Another truly amazing thing about the LGP-30 was the CRT used in place of console lights! The CRT displayed a series of traces on the CRT, one for each register, plus one(?) for bit registers. The trace was "up" for one, and "down" for zero. There was an overlay decal on the CRT (about 5" wide) indicating the registers and bit positions. Those were the days! Bob Fleischer Digital Equipment Corp. 2 Iron Way (MRO3-2/E7) Marlboro, Mass 01752 ...decvax!decwrl!rhea!gigi!fleischer ...ucbvax!decwrl!rhea!gigi!fleischer