Beefy Boxes and Bandwidth Generously Provided by pair Networks
Syntactic Confectionery Delight
 
PerlMonks  

Re: The oldest computer book still on my shelves (or on my digital media) is ...

by chacham (Prior)
on Aug 19, 2015 at 13:54 UTC ( [id://1139168]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to The oldest computer book still on my shelves (or on my digital media) is ...

What is the oldest possible book anyway?

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: The oldest computer book still on my shelves (or on my digital media) is ...
by Athanasius (Archbishop) on Aug 19, 2015 at 16:11 UTC
    What is the oldest possible book anyway?

    It probably should be this work from 1842:

    Sketch of
    The Analytical Engine
    Invented by Charles Babbage
    By L. F. MENABREA
    [...]
    With notes upon the Memoir by the Translator
    ADA AUGUSTA, COUNTESS OF LOVELACE

    which reputedly contains the first-ever computer programme — except that it’s too short to be a book. :-(

    So it’s quite possibly this book from 1864:

    Passages from the Life of a Philosopher by Charles Babbage

    in which Chapter VIII is devoted to the Analytical Engine.

    :-)

    Athanasius <°(((><contra mundum Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

      computer programme

      So, i started looking up when the English adopted "programme" as the new spelling of "program." I've just seen "19th century," and i'd like to match the year. Though, it seems less likely to make a difference, as even the English use "program" to refer to computer programming.

      But then i looked again. You come from Australia, where "programme" is indeed used for computer programs, though there are confusing reports, with one article claiming it is political.

      On further thought, though, Australia had not yet achieved nationhood in the 19th century. So, i figure the best term is indeed "computer program," at least when referring to this example. :)

        Hi chacham,

        Interesting research. I’d always just assumed that “program” was the American spelling, in the same way that “color,” “behavior,” “center,” “check,” and “sulfur” are the American spellings of the British words “colour,” “behaviour,” “centre,” “cheque,” and “sulphur,” respectively. Seems I may have to re-think my usage on this one.

        I wasn’t aware of the political ramifications of the programme/program distinction in current Australian federal politics. I don’t read The Canberra Times, and judging by this excerpt from the linked article:

        (In fact, the English had used "program" for hundreds of years – it appears in Shakespeare's works – and only switched en masse to "programme" during that era of francophilia, the 19th century.)

        I won’t be starting any time soon. A simple search of Shakespeare’s works:

        finds NO hits for either “program” or “programme.” :-(


        BTW, I today ordered a long black coffee with pouring cream from a waitress with an American accent, and was given milk when I was expecting cream. Then I remembered (too late!) that in America, “coffee with cream” means what I would call “coffee with milk.” So (since your homepage says you live in Michigan), how should I phrase my order when requesting coffee with cream from an American speaker?

        Athanasius <°(((><contra mundum Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

      except that it’s too short to be a book.

      Booklet, maybe? I would count it.

Log In?
Username:
Password:

What's my password?
Create A New User
Domain Nodelet?
Node Status?
node history
Node Type: note [id://1139168]
help
Chatterbox?
and the web crawler heard nothing...

How do I use this?Last hourOther CB clients
Other Users?
Others romping around the Monastery: (4)
As of 2024-03-28 16:57 GMT
Sections?
Information?
Find Nodes?
Leftovers?
    Voting Booth?

    No recent polls found