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Re^2: increase default code-len window

by QM (Parson)
on Sep 20, 2013 at 13:49 UTC ( [id://1055033]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Re: increase default code-len window
in thread increase default code-len window

Could it possibly be due to punch cards? Or did Fortran precede punch cards?

-QM
--
Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of

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Re^3: increase default code-len window
by Athanasius (Archbishop) on Sep 21, 2013 at 06:50 UTC

    Yes, FORTRAN (introduced in 1957) was originally written on 80-column punch cards:

    Before the development of disk files, text editors and terminals, programs were most often entered on a keypunch keyboard onto 80 column punched cards, one line to a card. The resulting deck of cards would be fed into a card reader to be compiled....
    Originally Fortran programs were written in a fixed column format.... the card was divided into four fields. Columns 1 to 5 were the label field: a sequence of digits here was taken as a label for the purpose of a GOTO or a FORMAT reference in a WRITE or READ statement. Column 6 was a continuation field: a non-blank character here caused the card to be taken as a continuation of the statement on the previous card. Columns 7 to 72 served as the statement field. Columns 73 to 80 were ignored, so they could be used for identification information.
    Wikipedia, “Fortran”

    So,

    A legacy of the 80 column punched card format is that a display of 80 characters per row was a common choice in the design of character-based terminals.
    Wikipedia, “Punched_card”

    See also Wikipedia, “Characters per line”.

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

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