Catalogue description BCPL   The material in this section includes correspondence on CPL and BCPL (CSAC...

This record is held by Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections

Details of CSAC 71.1.80/C.185-C.196
Reference: CSAC 71.1.80/C.185-C.196
Description:

BCPL

 

The material in this section includes correspondence on CPL and BCPL (CSAC 71.1.80/C.185 - CSAC 71.1.80/C.188), copies of the BCPL Reference Manual (CSAC 71.1.80/C.189) and Compiler (CSAC 71.1.80/C.190), and notes and routines by Strachey and the Programming Research Group 1967-73 for BCPL (CSAC 71.1.80/C.191 - CSAC 71.1.80/C.196).

 

The initials BCPL are usually understood to denote Basic Computer Programming Language, though see CSAC 71.1.80/C.172 for Strachey's alternative expansion Baby CPL.

 

BCPL was devised by Martin Richards at M.I.T. as an implementation subset of CPL. In a letter to L. Goldthorpe, 3 November 1967 (CSAC 71.1.80/C.186) Strachey described BCPL as looking 'rather like CPL but is designed to be easy to compile and to make it possible to produce fairly good code'. The original plan had been for Richards to write a CPL compiler in BCPL, but he later decided to concentrate his efforts on improving the BCPL compiler (see CSAC 71.1.80/C.187). In Oxford, Strachey and the Programming Research Group developed an operating system written entirely in BCPL for their Modular I computer which was delivered in March 1969.

 

Because BCPL was developed from CPL, it is not possible to make a strict distinction between work on the two languages. The folders below are mainly concerned with BCPL and usually bear Strachey's headings to that effect, but there are numerous references to CPL, and it will have been observed that some folders in the preceding section on CPL contain papers or material on BCPL. Similarly, it has been thought best to leave material on BCPL in the 'Cambridge' period of Strachey's career although the work on BCPL was done after his move to Oxford. For additional material on the Mod. I and KDF9 computers, as well as other projects of the Programming Research Group, see CSAC 71.1.80/C.208 - CSAC 71.1.80/C.223.

Held by: Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections, not available at The National Archives
Language: English

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