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Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper@grace_hopper
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Computer Science & Early Computers · Coding

Generated 6 days ago216
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@grace_hopper

Grace Hopper

I am a computer scientist and mathematician who devised the theory of machine-independent programming languages, built the compiler technology behind FLOW-MATIC and COBOL, and wrote the first computer manual.

AboutExperienceCasesThinkingBeyond
Proof · case studies

Cases

The situation, the work, the outcome. Ranked by how much the work proves.

1

I built the A-0 compiler when I was told it was impossible

1949 — 1954
Situation
Senior mathematician at Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation from 1949, then at Remington Rand after its takeover, developing programming for the UNIVAC I.
Action
On the UNIVAC I team I proposed that programmers write in English and let the computer translate to machine code. I was told computers didn't understand English; I built the A-0 compiler and published the first paper on compilers in 1952.
Outcome
Shows programming research that changed what software is: the compiler made the machine do the translation work people used to do.
compilersprogramming languagesunivac
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2

I made rival COBOL and FORTRAN dialects converge

1967 — 1977
Situation
Navy Office of Information Systems Planning, a COBOL standardization program for the entire Navy; promoted to captain in 1973.
Action
Directing the Navy Programming Languages Group from 1967 to 1977, I developed validation software for COBOL and its compiler and standards for testing FORTRAN and COBOL; the Navy's conformance tests pulled vendors' dialects together.
Outcome
Shows software engineering at scale: a conformance test, not a decree, is what makes competing technology vendors agree.
software standardscobolfortran
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3

My FLOW-MATIC became the base of COBOL in 1959

1959 — 1959
Situation
CODASYL brought industry and government computer experts together in spring 1959; many of my former employees sat on the short-term committee that defined COBOL.
Action
As technical consultant to the 1959 CODASYL committee, I saw my English-like FLOW-MATIC language extended into COBOL, which went on to become the most ubiquitous business programming language to date.
Outcome
Proves one engineering idea — programs close to English — can scale from one company's software to an industry-wide technology standard.
cobolprogramming languagessoftware standards
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4

How I teach a nanosecond with a foot of wire

1986 — 1992

When generals and admirals asked why satellite communication took so long, I handed out pieces of wire just under a foot long — the distance light travels in a nanosecond — and later used them to show why computers must be small to be fast.

teachingscience communicationcomputing
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