Re: The Red Language

[eachus@spectre.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)]

   Charles Lindsey (chl@clw.cs.man.ac.uk) writes:

   > In the REAL "bad old days" (before programmers took to eating quiche), the
   > passes were done to/from tape.

   Which type of tape?  I've used compilers that required multiple
source passes of paper tape, magnetic tape, and punched cards.  One
compiler required 11 passes!  The worst was a 4 pass compiler for the
IBM 650 that required reloading card decks, since the likelihood of
disaster between passes was low with either type of tape.

   The problem wasn't dropping your deck on the floor, assuming you
numbered the deck and had a card sorter handy.  The problem was
that the old mechanical card readers were likely to eat a card or
three each pass.  The standard tactic was to dup your deck, and keep
that as a master, duplicating cards from it to replace those eaten.
--

					Robert I. Eachus

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