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Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #211952

Re: Who introduced named files?

From rst@panix.com (Robert Thau)
Newsgroups alt.folklore.computers
Subject Re: Who introduced named files?
Date 2020-06-14 19:36 +0000
Organization Public Access Networks Corp.
Message-ID <rc5u72$f0h$1@reader1.panix.com> (permalink)
References <rbtan8$tqk$3@newsreader4.netcologne.de> <rbtosd$1hjr$1@gal.iecc.com>

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In article <rbtosd$1hjr$1@gal.iecc.com>, John Levine  <johnl@taugh.com> wrote:
>Good question.  CTSS had named files, I think in 1962.
>
>Named files almost certainly predate disks. IBM operating systems had
>(still have, I guess) an elaborate system for naming files on
>magtapes. On OS you could put tape files in the catalog, just like
>disk files, and if a job called for a file on a tape, it would tell
>the operator to mount the tape.

FLOW-MATIC from Univac (predecessor to COBOL) already had explicit
support for tape labels in 1957, in blocks at the beginning of the
tape drive which the run-time would check to insure that the right
tape was mounted -- and that tapes with portions of a file were
mounted in the right order if a file spanned more than one tape.

So, it's at least that old.

Robert Thau
rst@{ai,alum}.mit.edu
-- 
Robert Thau
rst@{ai,alum}.mit.edu

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Thread

Who introduced named files? Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2020-06-11 13:14 +0000
  Re: Who introduced named files? Dallas <dallas@texas.usa> - 2020-06-11 08:56 -0500
    personal histories [was Re: Who introduced named files?] Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2020-06-11 19:08 -0400
      Re: personal histories Dallas <dallas@texas.usa> - 2020-06-11 18:58 -0500
        Re: personal histories Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2020-06-12 19:04 -0400
          Re: personal histories Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2020-06-13 05:51 -0700
          Re: personal histories Dallas <dallas@texas.usa> - 2020-06-16 10:59 -0500
  Re: Who introduced named files? John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2020-06-11 17:15 +0000
    Re: Who introduced named files? Douglas Miller <durgadas311@gmail.com> - 2020-06-11 10:24 -0700
    Re: Who introduced named files? rst@panix.com (Robert Thau) - 2020-06-14 19:36 +0000
  Re: Who introduced named files? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-06-11 23:53 -0700
    Re: Who introduced named files? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-06-12 00:12 -0700
      Re: Who introduced named files? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-06-12 00:30 -0700
        Re: Who introduced named files? Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2020-06-12 07:35 +0000
          Re: Who introduced named files? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-06-12 06:40 -0700
            Re: Who introduced named files? Dallas <dallas@texas.usa> - 2020-06-12 09:03 -0500
              Re: Who introduced named files? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2020-06-12 07:49 -0700
          Re: Who introduced named files? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-06-15 22:10 +0000
        Re: Who introduced named files? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2020-06-12 07:49 -0700
          Re: Who introduced named files? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-06-12 15:35 -0700
            Re: Who introduced named files? John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2020-06-13 00:08 +0000
              Re: Who introduced named files? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2020-06-12 17:15 -0700
                Re: Who introduced named files? Bob Eager <news0073@eager.cx> - 2020-06-13 05:46 +0000
                Re: Who introduced named files? Gareth Evans <headstone255@yahoo.com> - 2020-06-14 13:58 +0100
            Re: Who introduced named files? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2020-06-13 05:51 -0700
              Re: Who introduced named files? John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2020-06-13 14:45 +0000
  Re: Who introduced named files? Jon Elson <elson@pico-systems.com> - 2020-06-12 13:25 -0500
  Re: Who introduced named files? Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2020-06-13 15:18 -1000

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