FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) is the first widely-used high-level programming language. Created at IBM by John Backus and his team in 1957, it revolutionized programming by proving that automatically generated code could rival hand-written assembly in performance.
Origins
In the early 1950s, programming the IBM 704 mainframe required writing machine code—a tedious, error-prone process. John Backus proposed an ambitious project: create a language that would let scientists write formulas naturally and have the computer translate them into efficient machine code[1].
Many were skeptical. Previous attempts at automatic programming had produced code far slower than hand-written assembly. But Backus assembled a talented team and spent three years developing FORTRAN, focusing obsessively on optimization.
Design and Innovation
FORTRAN introduced concepts that remain fundamental to programming:
- Mathematical notation: Scientists could write
Y = X**2 + 3*X + 1instead of dozens of assembly instructions - Optimizing compilation: The compiler analyzed code to generate efficient machine instructions
- Loops and conditionals: The DO loop and IF statement became programming staples
- Subroutines: Code could be organized into reusable procedures
The first FORTRAN compiler was a landmark in compiler technology—its sophisticated optimization techniques produced code that ran nearly as fast as hand-written assembly[2].
Impact
FORTRAN’s success was immediate and transformative:
- Proved high-level languages were practical: Before FORTRAN, many believed efficient programs had to be written in assembly
- Democratized programming: Scientists could now program without becoming assembly experts
- Established the compiler field: The techniques Backus’s team developed became the foundation of compiler theory
- Still in use: Modern FORTRAN standards (Fortran 90, 95, 2003, 2018) continue evolving, and it remains dominant in high-performance scientific computing
Legacy
FORTRAN established that computers could process sophisticated, human-readable programming languages efficiently. This insight opened the floodgates for language design—within years, COBOL, ALGOL, LISP, and dozens of other languages emerged.
Today, FORTRAN code still runs simulations for weather prediction, physics research, and engineering applications where performance is critical.
Sources
- Computer History Museum. “FORTRAN: The First High-Level Language.” History of FORTRAN’s development.
- Wikipedia. “Fortran.” Comprehensive overview of FORTRAN’s features and evolution.