Autonomic Computing

The Software Generations

First Generation

During the 1950s, programming a computer required changing the wires and adjusting a set of dials and switches. Next came punched paper tape (which looked like ticker tape from the telegraph), followed by the punched card. With these tapes and cards, the machine was told what to do, and when and how to do it.

To have a flawless program, a programmer needed to have a very detailed knowledge of the computer. A small mistake would cause the computer to crash—which it did frequently. Today we call this the First Generation Languages.

Second Generation

Because the first generation “languages” were regarded as very difficult to use, researchers set out to create something else, faster and easier to understand. ...