PACT (compiler) explained

PACT was a series of compilers for the IBM 701 and IBM 704 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, because memory was a very expensive resource at the time.^[1] The word "compiler" was not in widespread use at the time, so most of the 1956 papers described it as an "(automatic) coding system",^{[2] [3]} although the word compiler was also used in some papers.^{[4] [5]}

See also

• Speedcoding, an interpreter for the 701
• FORTRAN
• KOMPILER
• SHARE

External links

• Web site: JACM: Vol 3, No 4 - series of articles about PACT . 2023-08-08 . Journal of the ACM . en.

Notes and References

1. F. E. . Allen . 10.1.1.84.5616 . The history of language processor technology in IBM . IBM Journal of Research and Development . 25 . 5 . September 1981 . 537 . 10.1147/rd.255.0535.
2. Melahn . Wesley S. . 1956 . A Description of a Cooperative Venture in the Production of an Automatic Coding System . J. ACM . 3 . 4 . 266–271 . 10.1145/320843.320844.
3. Baker . Charles L. . 1956 . The PACT I Coding System for the IBM Type 701 . J. ACM . 3 . 4 . 272–278 . 10.1145/320843.320845 . free.
4. Mock . Owen R. . 1956 . Logical Organization of the PACT I Compiler . J. ACM . 3 . 4 . 279–287 . 10.1145/320843.320846. free .
5. Miller, Jr. . Robert C. . Oldfield . Bruce . 1956 . Producing Computer Instructions for the PACT I Compiler . J. ACM . 3 . 4 . 288–291 . 10.1145/320843.320847 . free.