Hasty Briefsbeta

The original ABC language, Python's predecessor (1991)

13 days ago
  • #Python
  • #ABC Programming Language
  • #Software History
  • ABC was Python's most direct predecessor, worked on from 1983-1986.
  • Sources downloaded from cwi.nl (abc-unix tarball) and Luciano Ramalho's GitHub.
  • Most files last modified in 1991, some in 1996 or 2021.
  • Build instructions are in the old README file.
  • Sources assume 32-bit system; plans to upgrade for 64-bit compatibility.
  • No explicit license, but copyright held by Stichting Mathematisch Centrum (1988-2011).
  • Guido van Rossum plans to negotiate an MIT license with Steven Pemberton.
  • Key contributors include Eddy Boeve, Frank van Dijk, Leo Geurts, Timo Krijnen, Lambert Meertens, Steven Pemberton, and Guido van Rossum.
  • Notable publications: 'The ABC Programmer's Handbook' (1990) and 'An Alternative Simple Language and Environment for PCs' (1987).