REVIEWS INFOTECH STATE OF THE ART REPORT: COMMERCIAL LANGUAGE SYSTEMS OBTAINABLE FROM: INFOTECH INFORMATION LIMITED, NICHOLSON HOUSE, MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, U.K. Just published by Infotech Information Limited as the next volume in its State of the Art Report, entitled "Commercial Language Systems." This Report examines various ideal properties of programming languages implied by the present and future needs of commercial data processing; discusses currently available languages in the light of these requirements; and suggests ways in which the effectiveness of commercial programming could be improved. During recent years, there has been a growing divergence of views between language designers and commercial users. Language designers have not been conspicuously aware of the needs and problems of commercial users, and the users have not accepted newer languages, preferring instead to remain with assembly languages and COBOL, products of earlier computer generations. However, the increasing complexity of commercial programming suggests that there is now a need for more powerful facilities than are offered by COBOL and assembly languages. This Report discusses in detail the constraints in language choice and the essential needs of the commercial users. Existing languages are examined and compared in terms of their This comparison includes not suitability for'
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