HLL Computers

From: Stan Sieler <ss_at_allegro.com>
Date: Tue Mar 6 12:21:39 2001

Re:

Scott writes:
> I'm making a list of the processors and computers
> that in one way or another tried to directly execute
> a high-level programming language. Here's what I have
> so far.
>
> Algol60 - Burroughs 5500

BTW, that should be Burroughs B 5000 (don't forget the "B ", and
the B 5000 preceded the B 5500), and the other models: B 6500, B 6700,
B 6800, B 7500 (?), B 7700, and ?.

Also, the B 1700 (ALGOL-like language was used to write picocode (yes, pico))
(other models: B 1800, B 1900)

However, as others have pointed out, many of those machines didn't directly
execute high level languages. But, the Burroughs are important in the HLL area:

  - may have been the first designed for HLL specifically;

  - (B 6500 and later) had no assembler. Think about it...the only language
    available to the operating system implementors was ALGOL (ok, ESPOL, which
    was Burroughs ALGOL with some more extensions).

And, re:
> P-code isn't a high level language. It's the assembly language of
> the WD Pascal Microengine, Pascal was the high level language and
> it was Compiled into P-code (as one target architecture).

When you look at P-code, you say: Ken Bowles sure knew the Burroughs B 6500!
P-code is extremely closely modelled after the CISC stack-oriented instruction
set of the B 6500. (Dr. Bowles, head of the UCSD computer center (which
had a B 6500) was in charge of the UCSD Pascal project.)


Stan Sieler sieler_at_allegro.com
www.allegro.com/sieler/wanted/index.html www.allegro.com/sieler
Received on Tue Mar 06 2001 - 12:21:39 GMT