Talk:Calendar - for "REAL" programmers
Delete?
Far too specific. --Paddy3118 03:35, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
- Looks like maybe it's just for fun maybe. I suggest removing the task tag and moving it to a subpage of the user who made it's user page. --Mwn3d 03:45, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
I kind of disagree. Programming on a 6-bit (aka UPPERCASE only) platform is a legitimate pursuit. The K&R C programming language specifically permitted it, so to also PL/I, FORTRAN, COBOL... etc. There were and are still many legitimate CPU architectures that are intrinsically 6-bit, hence UPPERCASE.
Examples
- Example 12-bit computer architectures
- PDP-8
- The Intersil 6100 family of microprocessor
- Example 18-bit computer architectures
- Possibly the most well-known 18-bit computer architectures are the PDP-1, PDP-4, PDP-7, PDP-9 and PDP-15 minicomputers produced by Digital Equipment Corporation from 1960 to 1975.
- UNIVAC produced a number of 18-bit computers, including the UNIVAC 418 and several military systems.
- IBM 7700 Data Acquisition System was an 18-bit computer.
- BCL Molecular
- NASA Standard Spacecraft Computer NSSC-1
Many ADCs (analog to digital converters) have a 12-bit resolution.
- Computers with 24-bit words included
- ICT 1900 series and the Harris H series.
- IBM System/360, announced in 1964, was a popular computer system with 24-bit addressing and 32-bit general registers and arithmetic.
- IBM PC/AT with an Intel 80286 processor using 24-bit addressing and 16-bit general registers and arithmetic
- Apple Macintosh 128k with a Motorola 68000 processor featuring 24-bit addressing and 32-bit registers.
- eZ80 is a microprocessor and microcontroller family with 24-bit registers and addressing that is binary compatible with the 8/16-bit Z80.
- Computers with 36-bit words included
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory TX-2,
- IBM 701/704/709/7090/7094,
- UNIVAC 1103/1103A/1105/1100/2200,
- General Electric GE-600/Honeywell 6000,
- Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-6/PDP-10 (as used in the DECsystem-10/DECSYSTEM-20)
- Symbolics 3600 series.
- Smaller machines like the PDP-1/PDP-9/PDP-15 used 18-bit words, so a double word would be 36 bits. EDSAC had a similar scheme.
- Computers with 60-bit words include
Most of these were programmable in UPPERCASE only.
Indeed, unix will (used to) compile and run UPPERCASE only computers.... And the linux command stty still supports UPPERCASE only terminals. eg "stty iuclc olcuc"
Calendar specifically is an algorithm that is sufficiently complex that it requires assorted flow control, and I/O making is a reasonable example of how to work on a 6-bit character platform. CALENDAR also is specifically and uniquely relevant has it refers back the original "REAL" programmer.
I look forward to your decision discussion.
NevilleDNZ 05:04, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
Discussion Cont.
- Not decision, discussion. And you`ve made a great case! --Paddy3118 05:43, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
Secretly I'm looking forward to the Qubit and Qutrit computers... When 32-bit and 64-bit computers will become old hat. :-) NevilleDNZ 05:55, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
- But 6 bit could just as easily be all lower case as all uppercase. And there are other characters that would also be eliminated if this were really being targeted at a 6 bits-per-character platform. Meanwhile, some languages become unusable with this "all uppercase" constraint. Mind you, it's a cute constraint. But it's also silly. --Rdm 18:15, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
Create another algorithm?
- The task description says "Create another algorithm", yet the Algol solutions are identical (except for the case).--Abu 15:06, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
I get your drift.... rewording task: Provide an algorithm ... presented entirely without lowercase. ThanX for pointing it out. NevilleDNZ 03:58, 1 June 2011 (UTC)