Pascal

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Pascal

Pascal is both a unit of pressure in the SI system and a high-level programming language that uses a structured, imperative paradigm with strong typing.

What does Pascal mean?

Pascal is a high-level, general-purpose programming language developed by Niklaus Wirth between 1968 and 1971. Wirth designed Pascal as a teaching language to introduce the concepts of structured programming. It is named after Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century French mathematician.

Pascal is a statically typed language, meaning that the type of each Variable must be declared before it can be used. It also supports modular programming, which allows programs to be divided into smaller, more manageable components. Pascal’s syntax is simple and easy to learn, making it a suitable language for beginners.

Applications

Pascal has been used in a wide Range of applications, including:

  • Operating systems: Pascal was used to develop the VisiOn operating system, which was the first commercial graphical user Interface (GUI).
  • Compilers: Pascal has been used to develop compilers for other programming languages, such as Modula-2 and Oberon.
  • Scientific applications: Pascal has been used to develop scientific applications, such as the NAG Library of Numerical and Statistical Algorithms.
  • Embedded systems: Pascal has been used to develop embedded systems, such as the Apple IIe and the IBM PCjr.

History

Pascal was developed by Niklaus Wirth at the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. Wirth’s goal was to create a teaching language that would introduce the concepts of structured programming. Pascal was first released in 1970 and quickly became a popular teaching language.

In 1973, the International Standards Organization (ISO) published the first international standard for Pascal. This standard has been revised several times since then, with the most recent revision being published in 2012.

Pascal remains a popular teaching language today. It is also used in the development of operating systems, compilers, scientific applications, and embedded systems.