No: The first hard stored programs for computers were on a large circuit board that had fixed logic sectors that were connected by wires. By changing how the wires were routed you changed how the computer analyzed or organized the data.
The wire-board pictured in the upper right (for the IBM 402) is a lot more modern than what I was using.
All of the relevant computers of this age that I saw used punch cards to input data. Some of these were punch card sorters (did you want the card sorted by certain numerical values, or alphabetically by other values, etc.).
Later more advanced computers could store a program and punch cards could be used to read in a program, and then execute it. I've spilled my punch card program deck - and then spent hours hand sorting the cards back in order (as I had not yet numbered he cards on the cards themselves (with appropriate punched holes) - so it could be card sorted by a "card sorter" computer with a "numerical order" board plugged in).
I was in the US Navy when I was first exposed to this and learned to program a computer wire-board - and we were using old equipment as our task was support and not much of a priority. I have no memory of when these card sorters and computers were originally built that I wired boards for.
The Commanding Officer of the Supply Support Group was very excited and impressed that I could learn to program his wire-boards.
At the time my ship was in the 2nd part of its Naval Yard overhaul; which included a lot of equipment replacements and modifications. We took all the parts and supplies onboard off the ship to WW II warehouses, inventoried, got rid of parts no longer needed, got parts that would be needed; and organized exactly how everything would go back into the ship storerooms at the end of that part of the yard period.
Is it normal that learning binary is driving me crazy?
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Your first programming job was phone operator?
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olderdude-xx
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No: The first hard stored programs for computers were on a large circuit board that had fixed logic sectors that were connected by wires. By changing how the wires were routed you changed how the computer analyzed or organized the data.
Please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plugboard
The wire-board pictured in the upper right (for the IBM 402) is a lot more modern than what I was using.
All of the relevant computers of this age that I saw used punch cards to input data. Some of these were punch card sorters (did you want the card sorted by certain numerical values, or alphabetically by other values, etc.).
Later more advanced computers could store a program and punch cards could be used to read in a program, and then execute it. I've spilled my punch card program deck - and then spent hours hand sorting the cards back in order (as I had not yet numbered he cards on the cards themselves (with appropriate punched holes) - so it could be card sorted by a "card sorter" computer with a "numerical order" board plugged in).
I was in the US Navy when I was first exposed to this and learned to program a computer wire-board - and we were using old equipment as our task was support and not much of a priority. I have no memory of when these card sorters and computers were originally built that I wired boards for.
The Commanding Officer of the Supply Support Group was very excited and impressed that I could learn to program his wire-boards.
At the time my ship was in the 2nd part of its Naval Yard overhaul; which included a lot of equipment replacements and modifications. We took all the parts and supplies onboard off the ship to WW II warehouses, inventoried, got rid of parts no longer needed, got parts that would be needed; and organized exactly how everything would go back into the ship storerooms at the end of that part of the yard period.