an introduction to the programmer's workbench
The Programmer's Workbench (PWB) is a specialized computing facility dedicated to satisfying the needs of developers of computer programs. The PWB might well be called a human-end computer; like front-end and back-end computers, it improves productivity by efficient specialization. It provides a convenient working environment and a uniform set of programming tools to a diverse group of programming projects. These projects produce software for various target computers, including IBM System/370 and UNIVAC 1100 systems of much greater size than the PWB machines. The projects range in size from several people up to several hundred. The first PWB machine was installed in October, 1973; usage, acceptance, and interest have grown rapidly since that time. The PWB currently supports about 110 time-sharing terminals, utilizing a network of four DEC PDP-11 computers, all running the UNIX Time-Sharing System. The PWB adds tools to UNIX to support large projects. This paper gives an overview of the PWB and its development; further details appear in the five following companion papers [BIA76A, DOL76B, KNU76A, MAS76A, MAS76B].
program programmer specialization computation developer product efficiency environments tools group project software systems size timing support terminals network unix paper sharing program development facility