Autocoder
Encyclopedia
Autocoder was the name given to certain assembler
s for a number of IBM
computer
s of the 1950s and 1960s.
The first Autocoders appear to have been the earliest assemblers to provide a macro facility.
The term autocoder needs to be distinguished from autocode
, a term of the same era which was used in the UK for languages of a higher level. Both terms derive from the phrase automatic coding
, which referred generally to programs which eased the burden of producing the numeric machine language codes of programs. ("Autocoding" is seen occasionally, and can refer to any kind of programming system.) In some circles "autocoder" could be used in a rather generic way to refer to what is now called a macro-assembler.
The first Autocoders were released in 1955 for the IBM 702
and in 1956 for the almost compatible IBM 705. They were designed by Roy Goldfinger who earlier had worked on New York University
's (NYU) NYAP assembler. These machines were variable word length commercial machines, as were many of the computers for which an Autocoder was released.
Besides the 702 and 705, there eventually also were Autocoders for the IBM 7010, IBM 7030 (Stretch), IBM 7070
, IBM 7080
, and the IBM 1400 series
. Other manufacturers sometimes built competing products, such as NCR
's "National's Electronic Autocoder Technique" (NEAT).
The most well known Autocoder is that of the IBM 1401
, undoubtedly due in part to the general success of that series of machines. Autocoder was the primary language of this computer, and its macro capabilities supported use of the Input/Output Control System which eased the programming burden. Another assembler, Symbolic Programming System
(SPS), was the assembler offered when the IBM 1401
originally was announced as a punched-card-only computer. SPS had the same mnemonics but a different input format. It lacked Autocoder's features and was generally used only on machines that lacked tape drives (punched-card only).
Assembly language
An assembly language is a low-level programming language for computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable devices. It implements a symbolic representation of the machine codes and other constants needed to program a given CPU architecture...
s for a number of IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s of the 1950s and 1960s.
The first Autocoders appear to have been the earliest assemblers to provide a macro facility.
The term autocoder needs to be distinguished from autocode
Autocode
Autocode is the name of a family of "simplified coding systems", later called programming languages, devised in the 1950s and 1960s for a series of digital computers at the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge...
, a term of the same era which was used in the UK for languages of a higher level. Both terms derive from the phrase automatic coding
Automatic programming
In computer science, the term automatic programming identifies a type of computer programming in which some mechanism generates a computer program to allow human programmers to write the code at a higher abstraction level....
, which referred generally to programs which eased the burden of producing the numeric machine language codes of programs. ("Autocoding" is seen occasionally, and can refer to any kind of programming system.) In some circles "autocoder" could be used in a rather generic way to refer to what is now called a macro-assembler.
The first Autocoders were released in 1955 for the IBM 702
IBM 702
The IBM 702 was IBM's response to the UNIVAC—the first mainframe computer using magnetic tapes. Because these machines had less computational power than the IBM 701 and ERA 1103, which were favored for scientific computing, the 702 was aimed at business computing.The system used electrostatic...
and in 1956 for the almost compatible IBM 705. They were designed by Roy Goldfinger who earlier had worked on New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's (NYU) NYAP assembler. These machines were variable word length commercial machines, as were many of the computers for which an Autocoder was released.
Besides the 702 and 705, there eventually also were Autocoders for the IBM 7010, IBM 7030 (Stretch), IBM 7070
IBM 7070
IBM 7070 was a decimal architecture intermediate data processing system that was introduced by IBM in June 1960. It was part of the IBM 700/7000 series, and was based on discrete transistors rather than the vacuum tubes of the 1950s. It was the company's first transistorized stored-program...
, IBM 7080
IBM 7080
The IBM 7080 was a variable word length BCD transistor computer in the IBM 700/7000 series commercial architecture line, introduced in August 1961, that provided an upgrade path from the vacuum tube IBM 705 computer....
, and the IBM 1400 series
IBM 1400 series
The IBM 1400 series were second generation mid-range business decimal computers that IBM sold in the early 1960s. They could be operated as an independent system, in conjunction with IBM punched card equipment, or as auxiliary equipment to other computer systems.1400-series machines stored...
. Other manufacturers sometimes built competing products, such as NCR
NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation is an American technology company specializing in kiosk products for the retail, financial, travel, healthcare, food service, entertainment, gaming and public sector industries. Its main products are self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, automated teller machines, check...
's "National's Electronic Autocoder Technique" (NEAT).
The most well known Autocoder is that of the IBM 1401
IBM 1401
The IBM 1401 was a variable wordlength decimal computer that was announced by IBM on October 5, 1959. The first member of the highly successful IBM 1400 series, it was aimed at replacing electromechanical unit record equipment for processing data stored on punched cards...
, undoubtedly due in part to the general success of that series of machines. Autocoder was the primary language of this computer, and its macro capabilities supported use of the Input/Output Control System which eased the programming burden. Another assembler, Symbolic Programming System
Symbolic Programming System
The IBM 1401 Symbolic Programming System was an assembler that was developed by the Applied Programming Department of IBM as an alternative to the use of machine code for the IBM 1401 computer, the first of the IBM 1400 series. One source indicates that "This programming system was announced by...
(SPS), was the assembler offered when the IBM 1401
IBM 1401
The IBM 1401 was a variable wordlength decimal computer that was announced by IBM on October 5, 1959. The first member of the highly successful IBM 1400 series, it was aimed at replacing electromechanical unit record equipment for processing data stored on punched cards...
originally was announced as a punched-card-only computer. SPS had the same mnemonics but a different input format. It lacked Autocoder's features and was generally used only on machines that lacked tape drives (punched-card only).