ALGOL 60 (Algorithmic Language 1960) was an influential programming language that established many concepts used in nearly all subsequent languages. Though not widely used commercially, its ideas shaped Pascal, C, Java, and beyond.
Key Innovations
ALGOL 60 introduced fundamental concepts:
- Block structure: Code organized into nested blocks
- Lexical scoping: Variable visibility based on code structure
- Recursive procedures: Functions that call themselves
- BNF notation: Formal syntax description
- Call by value and reference: Parameter passing modes
The ALGOL Report
The ALGOL 60 report, edited by Peter Naur, set a standard for precise language specification. Its use of Backus-Naur Form (BNF) for syntax became the standard way to describe programming language grammars.
Influence
ALGOL 60’s influence is immense:
- Pascal, C, and their descendants inherit ALGOL concepts
- Block structure and lexical scoping became universal
- BNF is still used to define language syntax
- Recursive procedures became standard
Why Not Widely Used
Despite its influence, ALGOL 60 wasn’t commercially successful:
- Lacked standard I/O (implementation-dependent)
- IBM didn’t adopt it
- COBOL and FORTRAN had momentum