

Ferranti Mark II programming manual, A.M.Turing (1950) [pdf] - ash
http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Knuth_Don_X4100/PDF_index/k-4-pdf/k-4-u2780-Manchester-Mark-I-manual.pdf

======
mahoro
Some random example code from this manual:

    
    
      // /CT/            It is assumed that we have                
      E/ DSTI            the following fixed contents:                             
      @/ D//H                                              
      A/ R//P                     DS ££££                                                          
      :/ /C/S                     RS ££££        
      S/ :CT/                     JS ////                                                                          
      I/ @CTI                                                                                      
      U/ :C/S                                                                                                      
      ¼/ JS/P            [should be DS/P?]                                                                                                                 
      D/ A/                                                                                                                                
      R/ @/
    

That's brilliant.

P.S. OCR'ed version:
[http://www.computer50.org/kgill/mark1/mark1book.html#manuala...](http://www.computer50.org/kgill/mark1/mark1book.html#manualamt)

------
mutagen
_It is of course important that some efforts be made to verify the correctness
of the assertions that are made about a routine. There are essentially two
types of method available, the theoretical and the experimental. In the
extreme form of the theoretical method a watertight mathematical proof is
provided for the assertion. In the extreme form of the experimental method the
routine is tried out on the machine with a variety of initial conditions and
is pronounced fit if the assertions hold in each case. Both methods have their
weaknesses._

We're still sorting out the weaknesses in both methods.

------
rst
Actually identified on the first page as the "Ferranti Mark I" manual -- also
known as the Manchester Mark II, because it was the commercialized version of
the original experimental computer built at Manchester.

