Software, Printout of a Mark IV Program
date: label: date made
content: ca 1955 - 1956
notes: label: Description
content: The donor, who had degrees from MIT, Brown University and Harvard University and worked at the Bureau of Standards, described this object as follows: "I have saved this as an example of what programming for a Digital Computer was like in the 'Early Days'. This was written for the "Harvard Mark IV" (the first magnetic core memory computer) using the first version of Formula Translation Compiler - i.e. the grandfather of Fortran. It was done in the winter of 1955 or 56 I think 56"
label: Description
content: He goes on to describe how the program did not work and that there was a fundamental problem with all bits equalling zero or one at certain execution points.
label: Description
content: The file includes a mathematical analysis of the problem, the program, comments on the code, and various error reports.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of John Rockett
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1981.3013.01
label: catalog number
content: 1981.3013.01
label: nonaccession number
content: 1981.3013
objectType: label: Object Name
content: software
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 cm x 23 cm x 30 cm; 13/32 in x 9 1/16 in x 11 13/16 in