COWSEL facts for kids
| Developers | Rod Burstall, Robin Popplestone |
|---|---|
| First appeared | 1964 |
| Platform | Ferranti Pegasus, Stantec Zebra, Elliot 4120 |
| Influenced by | |
| CPL, Lisp | |
| Influenced | |
| POP-2 | |
COWSEL (which stands for COntrolled Working SpacE Language) was an early computer programming language. It was created between 1964 and 1966 by a person named Robin Popplestone. Think of it as a special set of instructions that told computers what to do.
COWSEL was inspired by other programming languages. It used ideas from Lisp, especially a way of writing code called reverse Polish notation (RPN). It also took some ideas from the Combined Programming Language (CPL).
This language was first used on big computers like the Ferranti Pegasus and Stantec Zebra. These computers were located at universities in Leeds and Bradford. Later, another person named Rod Burstall helped bring COWSEL to the Elliot 4120 computer in Edinburgh. In the summer of 1966, COWSEL got a new name: POP-1. All future work on the language continued under this new name.
Contents
What is a Programming Language?
A programming language is like a special set of rules and words. These rules let people write instructions for computers. Computers can then understand and follow these instructions. Think of it as talking to a computer in its own special language.
How COWSEL Was Used
COWSEL was designed to help people work with computers. It allowed them to create programs. These programs could solve problems or do tasks. It was used in universities for research and teaching.
Early Computers and Programming
In the 1960s, computers were very large. They were not like the small devices we use today. Programming them was also different. Languages like COWSEL made it easier to give computers commands. They helped programmers write code more clearly.
What is Reverse Polish Notation?
Reverse Polish Notation, or RPN, is a way to write math problems. Instead of writing "2 + 3", you would write "2 3 +". The numbers come first, then the operation. COWSEL used this style for its commands. It helped computers process instructions efficiently.
Example of COWSEL Code
Here is a small example of what COWSEL code looked like: function member lambda x y comment Is x a member of list y; define y atom then *0 end y hd x equal then *1 end y tl -> y repeat up
In the original printouts, special words (called keywords) were underlined. Robin Popplestone used a special typewriter called a Friden Flexowriter to do this. This helped make the code easier to read. It was an early form of what we now call "syntax highlighting."
See also
