Tree-Shaped Formats of Address Programming Language

Abstract

In the Address Programming Language (1955), the concept of indirect addressing of higher ranks (Pointers) was introduced, which allows the arbitrary connection of the computer’s RAM cells. This connection is based on standard sequences of the cell addresses in RAM and addressing sequences, which is determined by the programmer with indirect addressing. Two types of sequences allow programmers to determine an arbitrary connection of RAM cells with the arbitrary content: data, addresses, subroutines, program labels, etc. Therefore, the formed connections of cells can relate to each other. The result of connecting cells with the arbitrary content and any structure is called tree-shaped formats. Tree-shaped formats allow programmers to combine data into complex data structures that are like abstract data types. For tree-shaped formats, the concept of “review scheme” is defined, which is like the concept of “bypassing” trees. Programmers can define multiple overview diagrams for the one tree-shaped format. Programmers can create tree-shaped formats over the connected cells to define the desired overview schemes for these connected cells. The work gives a modern interpretation of the concept of tree-shaped formats in Address Programming. Tree-shaped formats are based on “stroke-operation” (pointer dereference), which was hardware implemented in the command system of computer “Kyiv”. Group operations of modernization of computer “Kyiv” addresses accelerate the processing of tree-shaped formats and are designed as organized cycles, like those in high-level imperative programming languages. The commands of computer “Kyiv”, due to operations with indirect addressing, have more capabilities than the first high-level programming language – Plankalkül. Machine commands of the computer “Kyiv” allow direct access to the i-th element of the “list” by its serial number in the same way as such access is obtained to the i-th element of the array by its index. Given examples of singly linked lists show the features of tree-shaped formats and their differences from abstract data types. The article opens a new branch of theoretical research, the purpose of which is to analyze the expe- diency of partial inclusion of Address Programming in modern programming languages.