tlayoyo2d ago
LØL
Show threadBytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇬🇱1d ago

@tlayoyo

Back in the stone age (1978-ish), I had to submit my code to a punch-card operator. I had to explicitly state at the top of every sheet that 'slashed' meant 'zero' and 'unslashed' meant 'alpha' 🙂

Show threadtlayoyo1d ago
@bytebro and what was alpha used for? 😮
Show threadBytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇬🇱

@tlayoyo

You know what I mean. Alphabetical letter O as opposed to a numerical '0'.

Or did I miss a funny? Hey ho...

Apr 10 at 5:21pmWeb
Show threadOzzelot 22h ago
@bytebro
It could be the Greek letter alpha
@tlayoyo
Show threadNeo Ehproque17h ago
@ozzelot @bytebro @tlayoyo yeah I understood that and was very confused
Show threadmathew14h ago
@ozzelot @bytebro @tlayoyo Now I’m wondering how people wrote APL on punched cards. (It’s entirely possible the answer is “They didn’t”, of course.)
Show threadBytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇬🇱14h ago

@mathew

I've 'seen' APL, but never written it. I truly have no idea how that was done - perhaps weird character encoding? Oh Goddess, another rabbit-hole to jump down later!

@ozzelot @tlayoyo