FACT computer language

FACT
Influenced
Paradigm	procedural, imperative
Designed by	Computer Sciences Corporation, Honeywell
First appeared	1959 (1959)
COBOL

FACT is an early discontinued computer programming language, created by the Datamatic Division of Minneapolis Honeywell for its model 800 series business computers in 1959. FACT was an acronym for "Fully Automated Compiling Technique". It was an influence on the design of the COBOL programming language.

Some of the design of FACT was based on the linguistic project Basic English, developed about 1925 by C.K. Ogden.

The software was actually designed by Computer Sciences Corporation (Fletcher Jones, Roy Nutt, and Robert L. Patrick) under contract to Richard Clippinger of Honeywell.

FACT was an influence in the design of COBOL, and is one of 3 predecessor languages credited in all COBOL manuals.

Several elements of FACT were incorporated into COBOL:

It is unclear if a working version of FACT was ever released by Honeywell. The language was designed, and a detailed specification released (see references), but it said that "Computer Sciences Corporation also has the contract to implement FACT", which seems to imply that they are still working on an implementation. About that time, the short range committee began developing COBOL, and Roy Nutt, 1 of the 3 principals of CSC, began working with that committee on COBOL. It's not clear if he ever came back to implement FACT, or if Honeywell concentrated their programming effort on a COBOL compiler.

FACT was implemented, however – it was being used by Australian Department of Defence in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The following code samples from the simple payroll application in the FACT specification show the fixed-form nature of FACT and its similarities with COBOL.