From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id f4e0e3bf for ; Wed, 8 Jan 2020 06:26:28 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 7ECDA9BCB6; Wed, 8 Jan 2020 16:26:27 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 14C669BCA9; Wed, 8 Jan 2020 16:25:58 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id B0A769BCA9; Wed, 8 Jan 2020 16:25:56 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail.bitblocks.com (ns1.bitblocks.com [173.228.5.8]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3BF69945FC for ; Wed, 8 Jan 2020 16:25:56 +1000 (AEST) Received: from altos.bitblocks.com (altos.bitblocks.com [192.168.125.3]) by mail.bitblocks.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id D836A156E42D; Tue, 7 Jan 2020 22:25:41 -0800 (PST) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 11.5 \(3445.9.1\)) From: Bakul Shah In-Reply-To: <202001080520.0085KdTi008574@cuzuco.com> Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2020 22:25:39 -0800 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: References: <202001080520.0085KdTi008574@cuzuco.com> To: Brian Walden X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.3445.9.1) Subject: Re: [TUHS] # (was Re: sh: cmd | >file) X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" > On Jan 7, 2020, at 9:20 PM, Brian Walden wrote: >=20 > Dave Horsfall wrote: >> On Tue, 7 Jan 2020, Bakul Shah wrote: >>=20 >>> In Algol68 # ... # is one of the forms for block comments! >>=20 >> Interesting... All we had at university though was ALGOL W (as far = as I >> know; there were several languages that mere students could not use, = such >> as FORTRAN H). >=20 > Yes, but when was it implemented? Kernighan is first ever if it is not > before 1974. So I decided to look and it took me down a rabbit hole of > ALGOL taht leads back to Bourne shell and then right back to # (but in = C) Tanenbaum=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9CA tutorial on Algol 68=E2=80=9D published = in Computing Surveys, June 1976 mentions that # is one of the (four) ways a comment may be enclosed. https://research.vu.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/74119499/11057 An earlier paper =E2=80=9CAlgol68 with fewer tears=E2=80=9D by C H = Lindsey, 1972 also mentions # as an alternate symbol. = https://academic.oup.com/comjnl/article-pdf/15/2/176/1002964/15-2-176.pdf