Research Article: The Development of Computer Languages and Programmers

One of the principle strengths of the modern electronic digital computer is its ability to be programmed to perform a wide variety of useful and disparate functions. Originally designed as "super-calculators" for limited use in military and scientific computation, computers have become one of the most ubiquitous technologies of late twentieth-century society. What makes the computer so powerful is its enormous flexibility: given the appropriate software, an inexpensive and mass-produced computer chip can emulate the function of many more costly, special-purpose devices. The remarkable success of the computer industry in the United States is in large part due to the ability of programmers to develop software applications that appeal to a broad range of corporate consumers. The cornerstones of this "software revolution" are the computer programming languages used to create versatile and efficient software.

The earliest electronic digital computers were designed and constructed for military or scientific purposes and were...
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