Is it not a bit of a stretch to claim that compilers comes from the AI field? After all, FORTRAN predates the definition of LISP by a couple of years, and LISP did not get a complete compiler until 1962. In the beginning, people were hand-translating LISP code into FORTRAN to be able to run the programs (as somebody related, I think at the 50'th anniversary conference in 2009).
You're right that FORTRAN does predate LISP. I should have been more clear. Here's what I meant:
1. The FORTRAN compiler effort was considered to be "automatic programming", meaning doing the work of humans. Though it wasn't done by the same people as the mainline AI and LISP tradition, I consider it to be adjacent.
2. Lexers and parsers, as we know them today, where you present a grammar notation, did come from the AI tradition.
Really excited for this series!
Is it not a bit of a stretch to claim that compilers comes from the AI field? After all, FORTRAN predates the definition of LISP by a couple of years, and LISP did not get a complete compiler until 1962. In the beginning, people were hand-translating LISP code into FORTRAN to be able to run the programs (as somebody related, I think at the 50'th anniversary conference in 2009).
Hey Christian,
You're right that FORTRAN does predate LISP. I should have been more clear. Here's what I meant:
1. The FORTRAN compiler effort was considered to be "automatic programming", meaning doing the work of humans. Though it wasn't done by the same people as the mainline AI and LISP tradition, I consider it to be adjacent.
2. Lexers and parsers, as we know them today, where you present a grammar notation, did come from the AI tradition.
Once again, sorry I wasn't clear.
Rock on!
Eric