The Modula
programming language
A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs.
Programming languages are described in terms of their Syntax (programming languages), syntax (form) and semantics (computer science), semantics (meaning), usually def ...
is a descendant of the
Pascal language. It was developed in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, at
ETH Zurich, in the mid-1970s by
Niklaus Wirth, the same person who designed Pascal. The main innovation of Modula over Pascal is a
module system, used for grouping sets of related declarations into program units; hence the name ''Modula''. The language is defined in a report by Wirth called ''Modula. A language for modular multiprogramming'' published 1976.
Modula was first implemented by Wirth on a
PDP-11. Very soon, other implementations followed, most importantly, the
compiler
In computing, a compiler is a computer program that Translator (computing), translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primaril ...
s developed for
University of York Modula, and one at
Philips Laboratories named PL Modula, which generated code for the
LSI-11 microprocessor
A microprocessor is a computer processor (computing), processor for which the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit (IC), or a small number of ICs. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, a ...
.
The development of Modula was discontinued soon after its publication. Wirth then concentrated his efforts on Modula's successor,
Modula-2.
See also
*
Modula-2
*
Modula-2+
*
Modula-3
References
Procedural programming languages
Modula programming language family
Programming languages created in 1975
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