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Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

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  Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-07-20 12:14 -0700
    Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2021-07-21 01:46 +0000
      Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com> - 2021-07-22 14:46 +0000
        Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 chris <chris-nospam@tridac.net> - 2021-07-22 17:37 +0100
          Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-07-22 16:47 +0000
            Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2021-07-22 17:51 +0100
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2021-07-22 17:25 +0000
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2021-07-22 18:10 +0100
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2021-07-23 00:13 +0000
                  Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 TrailingEdgeTechnologies <bbreynolds@aol.com> - 2021-07-22 19:32 -0700
                  Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 TrailingEdgeTechnologies <bbreynolds@aol.com> - 2021-07-22 19:44 -0700
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> - 2021-07-22 15:14 -0400
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2021-07-22 20:52 +0100
                  Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> - 2021-07-22 17:05 -0400
                    Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2021-07-23 09:13 -0700
                    Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-07-23 11:48 -0700
                      Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Robin Vowels <robin.vowels@gmail.com> - 2021-07-23 20:13 -0700
                      Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2021-07-24 21:35 +0000
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2021-07-22 21:10 +0100
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Grant Taylor <gtaylor@tnetconsulting.net> - 2021-07-22 14:16 -0600
                  Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> - 2021-07-22 17:08 -0400
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 TrailingEdgeTechnologies <bbreynolds@aol.com> - 2021-07-22 20:08 -0700
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-07-23 16:18 +0000
                  Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Louis Krupp <lkrupp@invalid.pssw.com.invalid> - 2021-07-24 11:54 -0600
            Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Vir Campestris <vir.campestris@invalid.invalid> - 2021-07-25 21:51 +0100
              Re: sixbit, the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2021-07-25 21:12 +0000
                Re: sixbit, the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2021-07-26 05:32 +0000
                  Re: sixbit, the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Bob Eager <news0009@eager.cx> - 2021-07-26 08:39 +0000
                  Re: sixbit, the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 gareth evans <headstone255@yahoo.com> - 2021-07-26 12:21 +0100
                    Re: sixbit, the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2021-07-26 18:45 -0400
                      Re: sixbit, the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 gareth evans <headstone255@yahoo.com> - 2021-07-27 11:29 +0100
          Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 TrailingEdgeTechnologies <bbreynolds@aol.com> - 2021-07-22 19:43 -0700
            Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-07-23 11:46 -0700
      Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-07-23 11:56 -0700
        Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2021-07-23 16:27 -0700
          Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-08-07 12:38 -0700
            Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2021-08-07 20:04 +0000
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2021-08-07 22:24 +0100
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2021-08-07 22:27 +0100
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-08-10 11:49 -0700
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2021-08-10 15:34 -0400
            Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Robin Vowels <robin.vowels@gmail.com> - 2021-08-07 18:13 -0700
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-08-10 11:45 -0700
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Robin Vowels <robin.vowels@gmail.com> - 2021-08-11 06:36 -0700
                  Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2021-08-11 08:00 -0700
            Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2021-08-10 10:57 -0700
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2021-08-10 18:29 +0000
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-08-10 11:54 -0700
              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-08-10 19:44 +0000
                Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-08-13 12:26 -0700
                  Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2021-08-13 09:49 -1000
                    Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> - 2021-08-16 12:52 -0700
                      Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-08-16 20:06 +0000
                        Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2021-08-16 23:31 +0000
                          Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-08-17 15:41 +0000
                            Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-08-18 16:38 +0000
                              Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2021-08-18 18:29 +0100
        Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2021-07-27 18:12 -1000
          Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952 Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2021-07-27 18:49 -1000

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#218482 — Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

This article describes an early airline reservation system using a device 
based on magnetic drums.

https://books.google.com/books?id=s3hCAQAAIAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=%22morning%20congressional%22%20train%20phone&pg=RA2-PA46#v=onepage&q&f=false

As airline traffic grew it proved to be inadequate, inspiring AA and IBM to
to develop the SABRE computer system.

(Given the experience of developing a massive online host and complex
application software for SABRE, one wonders why they didn't learn
from that when IBM developed OS for S/360 and got so bogged down.)

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#218489 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

According to undefined Hancock-4  <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com>:
>(Given the experience of developing a massive online host and complex
>application software for SABRE, one wonders why they didn't learn
>from that when IBM developed OS for S/360 and got so bogged down.)

The projects were very different.  SABRE was a single application realtime
transaction system.  OS was a general purpose system that could run all sorts
of applicatons.

IBM did reimplment SABRE on S/360 as PARS (the airline application)
and ACP (the control program.) ACP has since evolved into TPF which
still runs a lot of high performance transaction systems on zSeries
hardware.
-- 
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

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#218500 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> writes:


>IBM did reimplment SABRE on S/360 as PARS (the airline application)
>and ACP (the control program.) ACP has since evolved into TPF which
>still runs a lot of high performance transaction systems on zSeries
>hardware.

A Tek serial data test set I used decades ago had not just ASCII
but also some 6-bit code that was used for airline reservation
systems. ?ALPS? maybe?

What's its history?


-- 
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close..........................
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

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#218501 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On 07/22/21 15:46, David Lesher wrote:
> John Levine<johnl@taugh.com>  writes:
>
>
>> IBM did reimplment SABRE on S/360 as PARS (the airline application)
>> and ACP (the control program.) ACP has since evolved into TPF which
>> still runs a lot of high performance transaction systems on zSeries
>> hardware.
>
> A Tek serial data test set I used decades ago had not just ASCII
> but also some 6-bit code that was used for airline reservation
> systems. ?ALPS? maybe?
>
> What's its history?
>
>

Sounds like the Justowriter, a modified Friden Flexowriter for
typesetting work. That used a 5 bit baudot code (rtty), but added
a sixth bit for case shift...

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#218502 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

chris <chris-nospam@tridac.net> writes:
>On 07/22/21 15:46, David Lesher wrote:
>> John Levine<johnl@taugh.com>  writes:
>>
>>
>>> IBM did reimplment SABRE on S/360 as PARS (the airline application)
>>> and ACP (the control program.) ACP has since evolved into TPF which
>>> still runs a lot of high performance transaction systems on zSeries
>>> hardware.
>>
>> A Tek serial data test set I used decades ago had not just ASCII
>> but also some 6-bit code that was used for airline reservation
>> systems. ?ALPS? maybe?
>>
>> What's its history?
>>
>>
>
>Sounds like the Justowriter, a modified Friden Flexowriter for
>typesetting work. That used a 5 bit baudot code (rtty), but added
>a sixth bit for case shift...
>

Well, EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC which was a 6-bit code.

Burroughs also had 6-bit codes on early machines.

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#218503 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

Scott Lurndal wrote:

> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC

EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce,
I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ?

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#218504 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

According to Andy Burns  <usenet@andyburns.uk>:
>Scott Lurndal wrote:
>
>> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC
>
>EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce,
>I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ?

Bee-Cee-Dee, of course


-- 
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

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#218505 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On Thu, 22 Jul 2021 17:51:24 +0100
Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

> Scott Lurndal wrote:
> 
> > EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC
> 
> EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce,
> I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ?

	I've also heard EBCDIC pronounced ebb-kuh-dick which would make
BCDIC come out as bic-dick.
____________________^  That's a C see!

-- 
Steve O'Hara-Smith                          |   Directable Mirror Arrays
C:\>WIN                                     | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins.                |    licences available see
You lose and Bill collects.                 |    http://www.sohara.org/

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#218513 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On 2021-07-22, Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> wrote:

> On Thu, 22 Jul 2021 17:51:24 +0100
> Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
>
>> Scott Lurndal wrote:
>> 
>>> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC
>> 
>> EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce,
>> I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ?
>
> 	I've also heard EBCDIC pronounced ebb-kuh-dick which would make
> BCDIC come out as bic-dick.
> ____________________^  That's a C see!

A TA in a computer science class I once took pronounced EBCDIC
"ee-biddy-dick".

As for BCDIC, maybe it's a back-formation.

-- 
/~\  Charlie Gibbs                  |  They don't understand Microsoft
\ /  <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid>      |  has stolen their car and parked
 X   I'm really at ac.dekanfrus     |  a taxi in their driveway.
/ \  if you read it the right way.  |    -- Mayayana

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#218514 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 8:14:02 PM UTC-4, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> On 2021-07-22, Ahem A Rivet's Shot <ste...@eircom.net> wrote: 
> 
> > On Thu, 22 Jul 2021 17:51:24 +0100 
> > Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote: 
> > 
> >> Scott Lurndal wrote: 
> >> 
> >>> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC 
> >> 
> >> EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce, 
> >> I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ? 
> > 
> > I've also heard EBCDIC pronounced ebb-kuh-dick which would make 
> > BCDIC come out as bic-dick. 
> > ____________________^ That's a C see!
> A TA in a computer science class I once took pronounced EBCDIC 
> "ee-biddy-dick". 
> 
> As for BCDIC, maybe it's a back-formation. 
> 
> -- 
> /~\ Charlie Gibbs | They don't understand Microsoft 
> \ / <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> | has stolen their car and parked 
> X I'm really at ac.dekanfrus | a taxi in their driveway. 
> / \ if you read it the right way. | -- Mayayana

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#218516 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 8:14:02 PM UTC-4, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
> On 2021-07-22, Ahem A Rivet's Shot <ste...@eircom.net> wrote: 
> 
> > On Thu, 22 Jul 2021 17:51:24 +0100 
> > Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote: 
> > 
> >> Scott Lurndal wrote: 
> >> 
> >>> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC 
> >> 
> >> EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce, 
> >> I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ? 
> > 
> > I've also heard EBCDIC pronounced ebb-kuh-dick which would make 
> > BCDIC come out as bic-dick. 
> > ____________________^ That's a C see!
> A TA in a computer science class I once took pronounced EBCDIC 
> "ee-biddy-dick". 
> 
> As for BCDIC, maybe it's a back-formation. 
> 
> -- 
> /~\ Charlie Gibbs | They don't understand Microsoft 
> \ / <cgi...@kltpzyxm.invalid> | has stolen their car and parked 
> X I'm really at ac.dekanfrus | a taxi in their driveway. 
> / \ if you read it the right way. | -- Mayayana

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#218506 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> writes:

> Scott Lurndal wrote:
>
>> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC
>
> EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce,
> I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ?

Never saw a reference to BCDIC, it was BCD.  Pronounced B-C-D.

-- 
Dan Espen

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#218507 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On Thu, 22 Jul 2021 15:14:55 -0400
Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> wrote:

> Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> writes:
> 
> > Scott Lurndal wrote:
> >
> >> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC
> >
> > EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce,
> > I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ?
> 
> Never saw a reference to BCDIC, it was BCD.  Pronounced B-C-D.

	The term was used, I think to differentiate the six bit
alphanumeric codes from the four bit numeric 'code' (simply binary for 0-9
in four bit groups) known as BCD to hardware types and occasionally in
instruction sets eg 68K has ABCD (Add Binary Coded Decimal).

-- 
Steve O'Hara-Smith                          |   Directable Mirror Arrays
C:\>WIN                                     | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins.                |    licences available see
You lose and Bill collects.                 |    http://www.sohara.org/

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#218510 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> writes:

> On Thu, 22 Jul 2021 15:14:55 -0400
> Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> writes:
>> 
>> > Scott Lurndal wrote:
>> >
>> >> EBCDIC was an 2-bit extension to BCDIC
>> >
>> > EBCDIC is awkward enough to pronounce,
>> > I've usually heard it as ebb-suh-dick, so how do you pronounce BCDIC ?
>> 
>> Never saw a reference to BCDIC, it was BCD.  Pronounced B-C-D.
>
> 	The term was used, I think to differentiate the six bit
> alphanumeric codes from the four bit numeric 'code' (simply binary for 0-9
> in four bit groups) known as BCD to hardware types and occasionally in
> instruction sets eg 68K has ABCD (Add Binary Coded Decimal).

I suspect that term appeared AFTER the term EBCDIC was invented.
Before S/360 was announced the only term I remember was BCD.
There were never any pretensions that  BCD was an "interchange" code.
I believe IBM snuck that term "interchange" in there to justify not
using ASCII.

-- 
Dan Espen

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#218518 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 3:05:20 PM UTC-6, Dan Espen wrote:

> I suspect that term appeared AFTER the term EBCDIC was invented. 
> Before S/360 was announced the only term I remember was BCD. 
> There were never any pretensions that BCD was an "interchange" code. 
> I believe IBM snuck that term "interchange" in there to justify not 
> using ASCII. 

I checked this, and indeed, the six bit codes for alphanumerics
were referred to as "BCD code" in a 1401 manual predating the 1401.

So the four-bit numeric code would just be binary-coded decimal,
while the six-bit alphanumeric code is BCD code, later changed to
BCD interchange code by analogy with ASCII.

John Savard

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#218524 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 5:05:20 PM UTC-4, Dan Espen wrote:


> I suspect that term appeared AFTER the term EBCDIC was invented. 
> Before S/360 was announced the only term I remember was BCD. 
> There were never any pretensions that BCD was an "interchange" code. 
> I believe IBM snuck that term "interchange" in there to justify not 
> using ASCII. 

+ 1

It got confusing in data centers with multiple types of computers, one EBCDIC,
one BCD.  Often such sites had an 026 and 029 keypunches.  The basic
characters were the same, but certain special characters were different.

One could use either keypunch, but would need to know the proper substitution
which could be tedious.

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#218530 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 4:48:54 AM UTC+10, undefined Hancock-4 wrote:
> On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 5:05:20 PM UTC-4, Dan Espen wrote: 
> 
> 
> > I suspect that term appeared AFTER the term EBCDIC was invented. 
> > Before S/360 was announced the only term I remember was BCD. 
> > There were never any pretensions that BCD was an "interchange" code. 
> > I believe IBM snuck that term "interchange" in there to justify not 
> > using ASCII.
> + 1 
> 
> It got confusing in data centers with multiple types of computers, one EBCDIC, 
> one BCD. Often such sites had an 026 and 029 keypunches. The basic 
> characters were the same, but certain special characters were different. 
.
Irritatingly, the Plus sign was different. (Y vs Y-5-8)
.
> One could use either keypunch, but would need to know the proper substitution 
> which could be tedious.

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#218534 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On 2021-07-23, undefined Hancock-4 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:

> On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 5:05:20 PM UTC-4, Dan Espen wrote:
>
>> I suspect that term appeared AFTER the term EBCDIC was invented. 
>> Before S/360 was announced the only term I remember was BCD. 
>> There were never any pretensions that BCD was an "interchange" code. 
>> I believe IBM snuck that term "interchange" in there to justify not 
>> using ASCII. 
>
> + 1
>
> It got confusing in data centers with multiple types of computers, one EBCDIC,
> one BCD.  Often such sites had an 026 and 029 keypunches.  The basic
> characters were the same, but certain special characters were different.
>
> One could use either keypunch, but would need to know the proper substitution
> which could be tedious.

The fun thing I discovered was that although the glyphs were different,
the key at any given location on the keyboard punched the same combination
of holes regardless of whether it had a BCD or an EBCDIC code plate.
Thus, if you could touch-type the BCD keyboard, you could sit down at
an EBCDIC machine and create your card deck (and vice versa with a few
gotchas, see below).  The special characters printed on the cards would
be wrong, but the computer would see exactly what you wanted.  That came
in handy at university, where there would often be a line-up for one
flavour of keypunch while the other ones stood empty.

The one catch was the the 026 couldn't punch everything that a 029
could; you'd have to resort to the multi-punch key for the less-used
characters.

-- 
/~\  Charlie Gibbs                  |  They don't understand Microsoft
\ /  <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid>      |  has stolen their car and parked
 X   I'm really at ac.dekanfrus     |  a taxi in their driveway.
/ \  if you read it the right way.  |    -- Mayayana

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#218508 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

Dan Espen wrote:

> Never saw a reference to BCDIC,

Me neither, but wikilies claims it was a thing, even has an 
Addison-Wesley reference

> it was BCD.  Pronounced B-C-D.

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#218509 — Re: the wonders of SABRE, was Magnetic Drum reservations 1952

On 7/22/21 1:14 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
> Never saw a reference to BCDIC, it was BCD.  Pronounced B-C-D.

I've seen reference to non-Extended BCDIC in IBM documentation.

It also seems reasonable to me that for there to be an extended form of 
something there usually needs to be a non-extended (proceeding) form.



-- 
Grant. . . .
unix || die

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