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Journal ArticleDOI

Implementation of a high level language machine

A. Hassitt1, J. W. Lageschulte1, L. E. Lyon1
01 Apr 1973-Communications of The ACM (ACM)-Vol. 16, Iss: 4, pp 199-212
TL;DR: This report describes the actual implementation of a computing machine: it is a computer whose “machine language” is APL, which is fully operational and correctly executes almost all of the APL operations on scalars, vectors, and arrays.
Abstract: Computing machines which directly execute the statements of a high level language have been proposed in the past. This report describes the actual implementation of such a machine: it is a computer whose “machine language” is APL. The machine is fully operational and correctly executes almost all of the APL operations on scalars, vectors, and arrays. The machine automatically allocates memory, executes statements, calls functions, converts numbers from one type to another, checks subscripts, and automatically detects many types of programmer errors.
Citations
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Proceedings ArticleDOI
06 May 1980
TL;DR: It is the intent of this paper to identify and discuss several issues applicable to high-level language computer architecture, to provide a more concrete definition of high-levels language computers, and to suggest a direction for high- level language computer architectures of the future.
Abstract: High-level language computers (HLLC) have attracted interest in the architectural and programming community during the last 15 years; proposals have been made for machines directed towards the execution of various languages such as ALGOL,1,2 APL,3,4,5 BASIC,6,7 COBOL,8,9 FORTRAN,10,ll LISP,12,13 PASCAL,14 PL/I,15,16,17 SNOBOL,18,19 and a host of specialized languages. Though numerous designs have been proposed, only a handful of high-level language computers have actually been implemented.4,7,9,20,21 In examining the goals and successes of high-level language computers, the authors have found that most designs suffer from fundamental problems stemming from a misunderstanding of the issues involved in the design, use, and implementation of cost-effective computer systems. It is the intent of this paper to identify and discuss several issues applicable to high-level language computer architecture, to provide a more concrete definition of high-level language computers, and to suggest a direction for high-level language computer architectures of the future.

49 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Talking and evaluating contemporary machines and software that have been developed to effect user microprogramming reveals a variety of designs and implementations but also indicates directions for future research and development.
Abstract: The concept of microprogramming has been changing with the development of hardware technology to facilitate dynamic microprogramming and the development of software technology to facilitate user microprogramming. An examination of the status of microprogramming systems leads to a discussion of the design and implementation characteristics for both the hardware and software aspects of microprogramming. The concept of microprogrammability is introduced to measure the facility with which a user can microprogram a machine. Discussing and evaluating contemporary machines and software that have been developed to effect user microprogramming reveals a variety of designs and implementations but also indicates directions for future research and development. Describing some of the contemporary applications of microprogramming indicates the potential for exploiting microprogramming in many areas. A comprehensive list of references serves as a guide to details of microprogramming concepts and recent developments.

34 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...Hassitt [ 39 ] described amicroprogrammed implementation ofAPLinwhichAPLstatementsaretranslated into anintermediate language which istheninterpreted bymicroprograms....

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Journal ArticleDOI
01 Nov 1973
TL;DR: The conceptualization of the ongoing neuroelectric activity as a stochastic time series has provided a framework for the utilization of the small computer in the laboratory, and computational procedures implemented include both time and frequency domain techniques.
Abstract: The conceptualization of the ongoing neuroelectric activity as a stochastic time series has provided a framework for the utilization of the small computer in the laboratory. Laboratory computers provide extensive computational, filing, and control capabilities which are being incorporated into the routine investigation of neurophysiological phenomena. The computational procedures implemented include both time and frequency domain techniques. Equipment utilized includes special-purpose digital computers, general-purpose minicomputers, and minicomputers with graphics capability used as intelligent terminals to larger machines.

21 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
A. Hassitt1, L. E. Lyon1
TL;DR: This work describes an efficient method of evaluating subscripted expressions in the APL language and shows how the same mechanism can be used to evaluate other selection operations, such as transpose, and how selection operations may be combined.
Abstract: The APL language allows subscripted expressions such as A[I;J;K], where A is an array and I, J and K may be scalars, vectors or arrays of any size and shape. We describe an efficient method of evaluating these expressions. The method is quite general and yet it does recognize all the special cases in which multiple subscripts can be reduced to a simpler form. We show how the same mechanism can be used to evaluate other selection operations, such as transpose, and how selection operations may be combined.

18 citations

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1975
TL;DR: This chapter presents a survey of high-level language (HLL) computer architecture, that is, computer architecture that has been designed to facilitate the interpretation of one or more specific high- level programming languages.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter presents a survey of high-level language (HLL) computer architecture. There has been interest in using hardware and firmware to implement various computer functions that have been performed by software. The technical and economic feasibility of this approach is because of the advancement of hardware technology and developments in microprogramming techniques. Microprogramming has provided the computer designer with a flexible and effective tool with which to engineer a new class of computers. Much of the research in this area has centered on the development of HLL computer architecture, that is, computer architecture that has been designed to facilitate the interpretation of one or more specific high-level programming languages. Researchers have investigated the influence of programming techniques on the design of computers. Since then, computers have been designed for high-level programming languages as algorithmic language ( ALGOL) 60, formula translation (FORTRAN), EULER, programming language one (PL/1), a programming language (APL), and string oriented and symbolic language (SNOBOL).

13 citations

References
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Book
Kenneth E. Iverson1
01 Jan 1962
TL;DR: The paper describes a succinct problem-oriented programming language that relies heavily on a systematic extension of a small set of basic operations to vectors, matrices, and trees, and on a family of flexible selection operations controlled by logical vectors.
Abstract: The paper describes a succinct problem-oriented programming language. The language is broad in scope, having been developed for, and applied effectively in, such diverse areas as microprogramming, switching theory, operations research, information retrieval, sorting theory, structure of compilers, search procedures, and language translation. The language permits a high degree of useful formalism. It relies heavily on a systematic extension of a small set of basic operations to vectors, matrices, and trees, and on a family of flexible selection operations controlled by logical vectors. Illustrations are drawn from a variety of applications.

1,175 citations


"Implementation of a high level lang..." refers background in this paper

  • ...We will not discuss APL statements in detail (see Iverson, 1962 [8], Falkoff and Iverson, 1968 [4], Pakin, 1968 [11]), but in general, a statement contains: names for example ALPHA operators for example + literals for example 1.25 separators for example ( A name consists of one letter followed…...

    [...]

  • ...We will not discuss APL statements in detail (see Iverson, 1962 [8], Falkoff and Iverson, 1968 [4], Pakin, 1968 [11]), but in general, a statement contains:...

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  • ...APL was originally defined by Iverson, 1962 [8]....

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Book
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: Details how one can use a four-state cell to store logic which has been ex'and-not' and 'exclusive-or' functions as well as the standard sum of products to recognize these additional functions further reduces the size of required memory.
Abstract: details how one can use a four-state cell to store logic which has been ex'and-not' and 'exclusive-or' functions as well as the standard sum of products ity to recognize these additional functions further reduces the size of required Th i s reduction is illustrated in detail using both Karnaugh maps and Roolean examples including increment and parity are also included. one typographical error in section 1.3. The number of words required for the 2-state associative memory and an operand width of 'n' bits should be

170 citations


"Implementation of a high level lang..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Rosin, 1969 [12], and Husson, 1970 [7], de- scribe several microprogrammable machines....

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  • ...…1973 of Volume 16 the ACM Number 4 1969 [14], Thurber and Myrna, 1970 [15], a few partial implementations of such machines (Weber, 1967 [16], and the description of the EVAL instruction in Husson, 1970 [7]) and a complete implementation (Chesley and Smith, 1971 [3], Smith, et al., 1971 [13])....

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  • ...1969 [14], Thurber and Myrna, 1970 [15], a few partial implementations of such machines (Weber, 1967 [16], and the description of the EVAL instruction in Husson, 1970 [7]) and a complete implementation (Chesley and Smith, 1971 [3], Smith, et al....

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  • ...Rosin, 1969 [12], and Husson, 1970 [7], describe several microprogrammable machines....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: By the mid 1960s it became both possible and practicable to build computers in which the control is driven explicitly by microprograms, and these programs generally reside in a device, distinct from the ordinary computer.
Abstract: The term microprogramming was first coined by Professor M. V. Wilkes of the Cambridge Universi ty Mathemat ica l Laboratory in 1951 [1, 2]. His thesis was tha t one can envision the control portion of a computer as effecting a number of registerto-register transfers of information, some in sequence and some in parallel, in order to carry out the execution of a single machine instruction. Each of these steps can itself be thought of as the execution of an instruction for some machine (whose existence is unknown to the programmer) . The steps used to effect a single instruction in the user machine can be thought of as const]tuting a program, usually called a microprogram. Microprograms can also be used for other necessary operations which are in some sense invisible to the programmer, for example, fetching the next instruction or computing effective addresses. These concepts are spelled out more completely in the next section of this paper. By the mid 1960s it became both possible and practicable to build computers in which the control is driven explicitly by microprograms [3-8]. These programs generally reside in a device, distinct from the

139 citations


"Implementation of a high level lang..." refers methods in this paper

  • ...Rosin, 1969 [12], and Husson, 1970 [7], de- scribe several microprogrammable machines....

    [...]

  • ...The model 25 microcode is more complicated than the simple machine shown by Rosin, 1969 [12]; however Rosin's example does give a good illustration of the way in which each machine instruction has to be emulated by many simple microcode steps....

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  • ...The model 25 microcode is more complicated than the simple machine shown by Rosin, 1969 [12]; however Rosin's example does give a good illustration of the way in which each machine instruction has to be emulated by many simple microcode steps....

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  • ...Rosin, 1969 [12], and Husson, 1970 [7], describe several microprogrammable machines....

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ReportDOI
01 Jan 1970

122 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...V A +-- X FIT Y;N;SUMX;SUMXX;SUMY;SUMXY N +- (oX)[1] SUMX ~-- + /X SUMXX ~ + / X × X SUMY ~-- + / Y SUMXY ~ + / X X Y A ~-- ((SUMYXSUMXX)+SUMXYXSUMX), (NXSUMXY) - S U M Y X S U M X A <---A+ (NXSUMXX) --SUMXXSUMX V X ~--1 2 3 4....

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Journal ArticleDOI
Helmut H. Weber1
TL;DR: An experimental processing system for the algorithmic ~anguage EULER has been implemented in microprogramming on an IBM System/360 Model 30 using a second Read-Only Storage unit and results are given in terms of microprogram and main storage space required and compiler and interpreter performance.
Abstract: An experimental processing system for the algorithmic ~anguage EULER has been implemented in microprogramming on an IBM System/360 Model 30 using a second Read-Only Storage unit. The system consists of a mlcroprogrammed compiler and a microprogrammed String Language Interpreter, and of an I/O control program written in 360 machine language. The system is described and results are given in terms of microprogram and main storage space required and compiler and interpreter performance obtained. The role of microprogramming is stressed, which opens a new dimension in the processing of interpretive code. The structure and content of a higher level language can be matched by an appropriate interpretive language which can be executed efficiently by microprograms on existing computer hardware.

120 citations


"Implementation of a high level lang..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...1969 [14], Thurber and Myrna, 1970 [15], a few partial implementations of such machines (Weber, 1967 [16], and the description of the EVAL instruction in Husson, 1970 [7]) and a complete implementation (Chesley and Smith, 1971 [3], Smith, et al....

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  • ...There is an alternative approach to the use of high level languages which Weber, 1967 [16], has demonstrated....

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  • ...The Hardware The use of a microprogrammable computer makes it possible to emulate a new machine using existing hardware (Weber, 1967 [16]), and we decided to take this approach....

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