Talk:FARGO (programming language)

Tab Machine Discussion

Normally, people who make significant changes to an existing Wiki have the courtesy to discuss the changes before they make them.

The anonymous writer who replace the general language refering to tab machines with "a 407s" operations may not be aware that there were to other tab machines that featured plug boards, namely the IBM 402, IBM 403 and IBM 405. There were older obsolete tab machines, but the 403, 406 and 407 all made it into the 1960s in the USA, perhaps longer internationally. FOLLOW-UP: Yes, I concede that the manual does refer to the 407 but as a practical matter FARGO was used by other tab machine shops.

Secondly, tabulating machines could multiply and divide if the technician knew the technique for doing this. It was done using that add counters for multiplication because in a mechanical sense multiplication is simply a series of addition instructions. I presume the division operation is accomplished the same way, however I have not done the operation myself. Perhaps because multiplication and division were such resource hogs, "In 1952, IBM first used core memory in an experimental 405 model" and in the 1960s IBM introduced a CAM unit that provided core memory and other operations. This was really the last dying gasp for the tab machines as the new IBM System 3 was priced to enable IBM to ship the remaining tab inventory overseas.

I will revert the 407 language back to "implement input, output, control and counter operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide)."

If there is a need for further discussion, I'll be happy to engage. YORD-the-unknown 17:56, 11 October 2006 (UTC)