kdmoen@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Doug Moen) (08/23/87)
Does anybody know of accessable references that describe the CPL programming
language?
Just to provide some background, CPL stands for either Cambridge
Programming Language or Combined Programming Language. It was designed
sometime during the 1960's.
BCPL is a stripped down, and typeless version of CPL. B is a stripped
down version of BCPL. And C is an extended version of B.
--
Doug Moen
University of Waterloo Computer Graphics Lab
UUCP: {ihnp4,watmath}!watcgl!kdmoen
INTERNET: kdmoen@cgl.waterloo.eduiwm@icdoc.UUCP (08/28/87)
Richard's book on BCPL gives as a reference an article in the Computer
Journal 1963 no 6. (Published by the British Computer Soc). I have also
seen a book called (I think) Advances in Non-numerical Computing, published
about that time (edited by Fox) which contains something about it.
You should also look at the FIRST edition of Brian Higman's `Compative
Study of Programming Languages' which discusses some of CPL's features --
the second edition concentrates more on the newer languages.
--
Ian W Moor
UUCP: seismo!mcvax!ukc!icdoc!iwm
ARPA: iwm%icdoc@ucl
Department of Computing Whereat a great and far-off voice was heard, saying,
Imperial College. Poop-poop-poopy, and it was even so; and the days
180 Queensgate of Poopy Panda were long in the land.
London SW7 Uk. firth@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Firth) (09/01/87)
In article <1621@watcgl.waterloo.edu> kdmoen@watcgl.UUCP (Doug Moen) writes: >Does anybody know of accessable references that describe the CPL programming >language? > >Just to provide some background, CPL stands for either Cambridge >Programming Language or Combined Programming Language. It was designed >sometime during the 1960's. > >BCPL is a stripped down, and typeless version of CPL. B is a stripped >down version of BCPL. And C is an extended version of B. >-- >Doug Moen >University of Waterloo Computer Graphics Lab >UUCP: {ihnp4,watmath}!watcgl!kdmoen >INTERNET: kdmoen@cgl.waterloo.edu The only published description I know of is called "The main Features of CPL", and appeared these many years ago in the Computer Journal (house journal of the British Computer Society), Vol 6. The main author was D W Barron. Various working papers on the language used to be available from the Oxford University Programming Research Group (45 Banbury Road, Oxford, England); I have a complete copy and would be prepared to send a LIMITED number of photocopies to anyone really interested. The acronym indeed stands for "Combined Programming Language", the things combined being the universities of Oxford and London. Much of the design work on the language was done by Christopher Strachey. BCPL is described in Martin Richards' book "BCPL, the Language and its Compiler". B was derived from it mainly by replacing the Algol-like syntax with one more to the liking of the deriver. As you might suspect, I loath it.
jpff@draken.nada.kth.se (John Fitch) (09/21/87)
I know it is usual for Oxford University to claim all knowledge, but CPL was originally Cambridge,David Baron was indeed the first author of the paper, but the others include Stachey and Hartley at least. The C was originally for Cambridge, but it got changed with the London involvement. There was a compiler for the Cambridge Titan, and as a student we were issued the CPL manual (which I still have). Half was through the year the compiler was archived (ie kept on tape only). One of my regrets is that I never used it, but Robin Fairbairns (now of Laser Scan in Cambridge I think) must of been the last user, with a seive program. That was in 1968. The compiler was slow, rumoured to be 17 pass, but others can correct me on this. ==John Fitch
keithc@cs.qmc.ac.uk (Keith Clarke) (10/06/87)
Expires: Sender: Followup-To: Distribution: I have (on loan from Peter Landin) two manuals for CPL. One is by David Barron, in Cambridge University Mathematical Lab covers, and is called "An introduction to CPL for Titan". It is in two parts, totals 73 pages, published July 1963, and is a first edition, no less. The other is 28 pages. No author is credited, but it includes the cryptic note "JNB:MD/JML 29th March 1965 SN: 131". It is called the "CPL Elementary Programming Manual", and was published jointly by Cambridge and the University of London Institute of Computer Science, price two shillings and sixpence. The derivation: Cambridge Programming Language & Combined Programming Language are both accepted by people around at the time. But lots of people say it was really Chris's Programming Language after Christopher Strachey. -- Keith Clarke UUCP: keithc@qmc-cs.uucp or ...seismo!mcvax!ukc!qmc-cs!keithc Internet: keithc@cs.qmc.ac.uk Post: Dept of Computer Science JANET: keithc@uk.ac.qmc.cs Queen Mary College Easylink: 19019285 University of London Telex: 893750 QMCUOL G Mile End Road Fax: +44 1 981 7517 London E1 4NS Voice: +44 1 980 4811 x3908 England