Introduction
Fortunately, programmers do not have to type a series of 0’s and 1’s to write a program thanks to Grace Murray Hopper. In 1951, Grace invented a compiler called A-0. A compiler, by definition, is “a program that translates another program written in a high-level language into machine language so that it can be executed (“Compiler”).” Therefore, if the compiler was never invented, computer programmers of today might be some of the most boring people in the world (if you already think they are the most boring people, then try imagining them being even more boring). The idea of converting English-based commands to machine-based commands also led to the development of future compilers, assorted programming languages, and numerous software applications that have influenced the industry of computing. [ Introduction | Childhood | Education | Work and Accomplishments |
In the fall of 2002, imagine sitting down in an introductory programming course at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The professor walks into the classroom briskly and presents to you your first programming assignment. The assignment requires typing a series of 0’s and 1’s so that when the program is executed, it will prompt the user for their first name and last name, and then display their full name. The program seems simple, but it’s successfully completed by only several students in the class. Other students, including you, decide that computer science and information technology is incredibly boring. You decide that you don’t care that computer scientists and information technologists make a lot of money, because you’d rather be doing something that is meaningful and that you find great joy in, like multivariate calculus or astrophysics.