PACT was a series of
compiler
In computing, a compiler is a computer program that translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that ...
s for the
IBM 701
The IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine, known as the Defense Calculator while in development, was IBM’s first commercial scientific computer and its first series production mainframe computer, which was announced to the public on May ...
and
IBM 704
The IBM 704 is a large digital mainframe computer introduced by IBM in 1954. It was the first mass-produced computer with hardware for floating-point arithmetic. The IBM 704 ''Manual of operation'' states:
The type 704 Electronic Data-Pro ...
scientific computers. Their development was conducted jointly by IBM and a committee of customers starting in 1954. PACT I was developed for the 701, and PACT IA for the 704. The emphasis in that early generation of compilers was minimization of the
memory footprint
Memory footprint refers to the amount of main memory that a program uses or references while running.
The word footprint generally refers to the extent of physical dimensions that an object occupies, giving a sense of its size. In computing, the ...
, because memory was a very expensive resource at the time. The word "compiler" was not in widespread use at the time, so most of the 1956 papers described it as an "(automatic) coding system", although the word compiler was also used in some papers.
See also
*
Speedcoding
Speedcoding, Speedcode or SpeedCo was the first high-level programming language created for an IBM computer. The language was developed by John W. Backus in 1953 for the IBM 701 to support computation with floating point numbers.
The idea a ...
, an interpreter for the 701
*
FORTRAN
*
KOMPILER
In computing, the KOMPILER was one of the first language compilation and runtime systems for International Business Machines' IBM 701, the fastest commercial U.S. computer available in 1955.
Information on KOMPILER is listed on page 16 of Volume ...
*
SHARE
References
{{reflist
IBM software