Program - Revision history

Jnc: Fix garble; minor language improvements

2026-09-15T07:33:59Z

Fix garble; minor language improvements

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:33, 15 September 2026
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	* [[expression]]s to perform arithmetical and/or logical computations		* [[expression]]s to perform arithmetical and/or logical computations
	* directives to move data from one place to another		* directives to move data from one place to another
	* [[control flow]] mandates, including [[conditional branch]]es and [[subroutine]] calls		* [[control flow]] mandates, including [[jump]]s, [[conditional branch]]es, and [[subroutine]] calls

	A program almost always exists in two complementary forms:		A program almost always exists in two complementary forms:

	* as [[object code]] (often referred to as 'binary'), a collection of [[instruction]]s loaded into the [[main memory]] of the [[computer]], from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will [[fetch]] the individual instructions of the program, and [[execute]] them;		* as [[object code]] (often referred to as 'binary'); a collection of [[instruction]]s loaded into the [[main memory]] of the [[computer]], from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will [[fetch]] the individual instructions of the program, and [[execute]] them;
	* the [[source code]]; the expression, in either [[assembly language]] or a higher-level [[programming language]] (forms more suited for ~~humans to~~ humans to work with), of the steps in the program.		* the [[source code]]; the expression, in either [[assembly language]] or a higher-level [[programming language]] (forms more suited for humans to work with), of the steps in the program.

	Programs, almost all originally created in the latter form, are converted from their original human-readable source code, to the object code form needed by an actual computer, by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s.		Programs, almost all originally created in the latter form, are converted from their original human-readable source code, to the object code form needed by an actual computer, by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s.
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	==Early programs==		==Early programs==

	In the context of early [[computing device]]s, it must be emphasized that a program was a specified series of elementary steps, which were stored in some mechanism from which they were fed into the device; not simply the ability to make ~~physical~~ changes to the device, to change what calculation it ~~performs~~ - even if those changes were instantiated in something that was added to the device for the accomplishment of that exact purpose, like the [[plug-board]]s of the [[ENIAC]]. Such 'customizability' is better referred to as 'configurability', and ''not'' 'programmability'.		In the context of early [[computing device]]s, it must be emphasized that a program was a specified series of elementary steps, which were stored in some mechanism from which they were fed into the device. They were ''not'' simply the ability to make changes to the device, to change what calculation it performed - even if those changes were instantiated in something that was added to the device for the accomplishment of that exact purpose (like the [[plug-board]]s of the [[ENIAC]]). Such 'customizability' is better referred to as 'configurability', and ''not'' 'programmability'.

	==Further reading==		==Further reading==
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	* Nicholas Metropolis, J. Worlton, [https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4628499 ''A Trilogy On Errors in the History of Computing''], Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, 1972 - contains an in-depth section on the genesis of the 'stored program' idea, by someone who lived through the end of that era, and knew those who did the work		* Nicholas Metropolis, J. Worlton, [https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4628499 ''A Trilogy On Errors in the History of Computing''], Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, 1972 - contains an in-depth section on the genesis of the 'stored program' idea, by someone who lived through the end of that era, and knew those who did the work
	<!-- https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4628499 -->		<!-- https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4628499 -->

	~~{{semi-stub}}~~

	[[Category: Basics]]		[[Category: Basics]]

Jnc: /* Further reading */ +Metropolis on the genesis of the 'stored program' idea

2026-09-07T21:38:48Z

Further reading: +Metropolis on the genesis of the 'stored program' idea

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:38, 7 September 2026
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	In the context of early [[computing device]]s, it must be emphasized that a program was a specified series of elementary steps, which were stored in some mechanism from which they were fed into the device; not simply the ability to make physical changes to the device, to change what calculation it performs - even if those changes were instantiated in something that was added to the device for the accomplishment of that exact purpose, like the [[plug-board]]s of the [[ENIAC]]. Such 'customizability' is better referred to as 'configurability', and ''not'' 'programmability'.		In the context of early [[computing device]]s, it must be emphasized that a program was a specified series of elementary steps, which were stored in some mechanism from which they were fed into the device; not simply the ability to make physical changes to the device, to change what calculation it performs - even if those changes were instantiated in something that was added to the device for the accomplishment of that exact purpose, like the [[plug-board]]s of the [[ENIAC]]. Such 'customizability' is better referred to as 'configurability', and ''not'' 'programmability'.

			==Further reading==

			* Nicholas Metropolis, J. Worlton, [https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4628499 ''A Trilogy On Errors in the History of Computing''], Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, 1972 - contains an in-depth section on the genesis of the 'stored program' idea, by someone who lived through the end of that era, and knew those who did the work
			<!-- https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4628499 -->

	{{semi-stub}}		{{semi-stub}}

	[[Category: Basics]]		[[Category: Basics]]

Jnc: Get rid of a window on my laptop by improving this!

2026-09-02T10:02:15Z

Get rid of a window on my laptop by improving this!

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:02, 2 September 2026
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	A '''program''' is the ~~expression~~, ~~in either [[assembly language]] or a higher~~-~~level [[programming language]],~~ of ~~the~~ steps needed to accomplish a particular ~~computational~~ goal.		A '''program''' (the term is a shortened form of the full, original term - '''stored program''') is the collection of steps needed to accomplish a particular information-handling goal. A program will include:

	A program will ~~include:~~		* [[expression]]s to perform arithmetical and/or logical computations
			* directives to move data from one place to another
			* [[control flow]] mandates, including [[conditional branch]]es and [[subroutine]] calls

			A program almost always exists in two complementary forms:

			* as [[object code]] (often referred to as 'binary'), a collection of [[instruction]]s loaded into the [[main memory]] of the [[computer]], from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will [[fetch]] the individual instructions of the program, and [[execute]] them;
			* the [[source code]]; the expression, in either [[assembly language]] or a higher-level [[programming language]] (forms more suited for humans to humans to work with), of the steps in the program.

	* [[expression]]s to perform arithmetical and/or logical computations		Programs, almost all originally created in the latter form, are converted from their original human-readable source code, to the object code form needed by an actual computer, by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s.
	* direction to move data from ~~one place~~ to ~~another~~
	* [[control flow]] directives, ~~including~~ [[~~conditional branch~~]]es and [[~~subroutine~~]] ~~calls~~

	Programs will be converted from their original human-readable [[source code]] to [[object code]] (by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s), and loaded into the [[main memory]] of the computer, from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will fetch the individual [[instruction]]s of the program, and execute them.		==Early programs==

	In the context of early [[computing device]]s, it must be emphasized that a program is a specified series of elementary steps, which ~~are~~ stored in some mechanism from which they ~~are~~ fed into the device, not simply the ability to make physical changes to the device to change what calculation it performs - even if those changes ~~are~~ instantiated in something that was added to the device for that exact purpose, like the [[plug-board]]s of the [[ENIAC]]. Such 'customizability' is better referred to as 'configurability', and ''not'' 'programmability'.		In the context of early [[computing device]]s, it must be emphasized that a program was a specified series of elementary steps, which were stored in some mechanism from which they were fed into the device; not simply the ability to make physical changes to the device, to change what calculation it performs - even if those changes were instantiated in something that was added to the device for the accomplishment of that exact purpose, like the [[plug-board]]s of the [[ENIAC]]. Such 'customizability' is better referred to as 'configurability', and ''not'' 'programmability'.

	{{semi-stub}}		{{semi-stub}}

	[[Category: ~~Basics‎~~]]		[[Category: Basics]]

Jnc: Configurability is not programmability

2023-12-04T09:55:34Z

Configurability is not programmability

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:55, 4 December 2023
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	Programs will be converted from their original human-readable [[source code]] to [[object code]] (by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s), and loaded into the [[main memory]] of the computer, from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will fetch the individual [[instruction]]s of the program, and execute them.		Programs will be converted from their original human-readable [[source code]] to [[object code]] (by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s), and loaded into the [[main memory]] of the computer, from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will fetch the individual [[instruction]]s of the program, and execute them.

			In the context of early [[computing device]]s, it must be emphasized that a program is a specified series of elementary steps, which are stored in some mechanism from which they are fed into the device, not simply the ability to make physical changes to the device to change what calculation it performs - even if those changes are instantiated in something that was added to the device for that exact purpose, like the [[plug-board]]s of the [[ENIAC]]. Such 'customizability' is better referred to as 'configurability', and ''not'' 'programmability'.

	{{semi-stub}}		{{semi-stub}}

	[[Category: Basics‎]]		[[Category: Basics‎]]

Jnc: +punc, link

2022-04-28T16:00:12Z

+punc, link

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:00, 28 April 2022
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	A '''program''' is the expression, in either [[assembly language]] or a higher-level [[programming language]] of the steps needed to accomplish a particular computational goal.		A '''program''' is the expression, in either [[assembly language]] or a higher-level [[programming language]], of the steps needed to accomplish a particular computational goal.

	A program will include:		A program will include:

	* ~~statements~~ to perform arithmetical and/or logical computations		* [[expression]]s to perform arithmetical and/or logical computations
	* direction to move data from one place to another		* direction to move data from one place to another
	* [[control flow]] directives, including [[conditional branch]]es and [[subroutine]] calls		* [[control flow]] directives, including [[conditional branch]]es and [[subroutine]] calls

Jnc: also logic ops

2021-09-18T23:52:10Z

also logic ops

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:52, 18 September 2021
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	A program will include:		A program will include:

	* statements to perform arithmetical computations		* statements to perform arithmetical and/or logical computations
	* direction to move data from one place to another		* direction to move data from one place to another
	* [[control flow]] directives, including [[conditional branch]]es and [[subroutine]] calls		* [[control flow]] directives, including [[conditional branch]]es and [[subroutine]] calls

Jnc: better cat

2018-12-16T20:30:37Z

better cat

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:30, 16 December 2018
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	{{semi-stub}}		{{semi-stub}}

	[[Category:~~Software~~ Basics‎]]		[[Category: Basics‎]]

Jnc: +cat

2018-12-14T03:15:32Z

+cat

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:15, 14 December 2018
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	Programs will be converted from their original human-readable [[source code]] to [[object code]] (by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s), and loaded into the [[main memory]] of the computer, from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will fetch the individual [[instruction]]s of the program, and execute them.		Programs will be converted from their original human-readable [[source code]] to [[object code]] (by tools such as [[assembly language\|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s), and loaded into the [[main memory]] of the computer, from where the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] will fetch the individual [[instruction]]s of the program, and execute them.

			{{semi-stub}}

			[[Category:Software Basics‎]]

Jnc: A decent start

2017-11-06T16:37:20Z

A decent start

New page

A '''program''' is the expression, in either [[assembly language]] or a higher-level [[programming language]] of the steps needed to accomplish a particular computational goal.

A program will include:

* statements to perform arithmetical computations
* direction to move data from one place to another
* [[control flow]] directives, including [[conditional branch]]es and [[subroutine]] calls

Programs will be converted from their original human-readable [[source code]] to [[object code]] (by tools such as [[assembly language|assembler]]s and [[compiler]]s), and loaded into the [[main memory]] of the computer, from where the [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] will fetch the individual [[instruction]]s of the program, and execute them.