FORTRAN was the first computer language I learned, as a college sophmore in the late '60s. Still have the text book. Compiler was at a local engineering firm, and test turn-around was overnight. At one shot per day, you learned to do careful desk checking. The next year used Basic via GE Telecomputing - programs punched on paper tape. For my senior year, the school sprang for a FORTRAN compiler to run on the business office NCR computer. My job was to run the students punch-card decks through the computer during the business office lunch hour. Spent an interim month learning to use FORTRAN as a language usage analysis tool, under tutelage of a Classic Languages professor.
Post college, took a job with an insurance company as a trainee programmer, thinking I might eventually use my Math degree in the actuarial field. Enjoyed the challenges of solving problems in multiple languages ranging from machine language, operating systems, application developlment tools, and business programming. When preparing my resume for my post-career job search, I realized that I could list over 35 programming languages, data access protocols and the like. Even did a smattering of FORTRAN during those years.
FORTRAN was the first computer language I learned, as a college sophmore in the late '60s. Still have the text book. Compiler was at a local engineering firm, and test turn-around was overnight. At one shot per day, you learned to do careful desk checking. The next year used Basic via GE Telecomputing - programs punched on paper tape. For my senior year, the school sprang for a FORTRAN compiler to run on the business office NCR computer. My job was to run the students punch-card decks through the computer during the business office lunch hour. Spent an interim month learning to use FORTRAN as a language usage analysis tool, under tutelage of a Classic Languages professor.
Post college, took a job with an insurance company as a trainee programmer, thinking I might eventually use my Math degree in the actuarial field. Enjoyed the challenges of solving problems in multiple languages ranging from machine language, operating systems, application developlment tools, and business programming. When preparing my resume for my post-career job search, I realized that I could list over 35 programming languages, data access protocols and the like. Even did a smattering of FORTRAN during those years.