Niklaus Wirth, the Swiss computer scientist passed away on 1/1/2024.
Best known for the programming language Pascal. He is also renowned for the timeless classic “Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs.” Additionally, he is known for establishing programming methodology.
Pascal was the second programming language I learnt. GWBASIC started my love with programming. The modular nature of Pascal was very impressive. Tons of code written in Turbo Pascal (yes, that packet with yellow cover and black titles). While GWBASIC was fun, I thought at that time that Pascal was the true programming language. I worked in COBOL. The programs were like love letters, unnecessarily long. I also worked in FORTRAN, where the i, j, k for loops are retained to this day in all languages. Despite that, Pascal had simplicity and neatness. C, C++, Java, and C# borrowed some of that neatness from Pascal. But Python’s insistence on those tabs and spaces is needless harassment of programmers. What problem does Python have with braces { and } ?
Pascal did come up with OOPs features but was replaced with Delphi. But for a long time Pascal remained the first programming language taught in European and American universities and colleges.
There are two books with titles “Algorithms and Data Structures”, and “Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs”. I often used the second title in my computer science lectures. It says so much about what programming is.
His other book on Compiler Construction is a gem. We don’t see too many new books on compiler construction now.
Niklaus Wirth will be missed.
RIP.
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