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Am I in an alternate universe or the ads are not showing up in FF3 but in IE6? WTF?!!!
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Make that IE7 ... still a WTF?!!
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I guess, but I'm just as happy not sending any money and having some ads on my screen. They really aren't hurting me at all -- I just secretly ignore them, for the most part.
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Wow, that's... astounding.
Of interest: There are several "The Last One" entries on WP, but nothing about this meta-language. I nominate our previous commenters to go start a page.
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I think that the only thing more amusing that “the last ones” article in PCW is the insistence of the original author that he was not only correct, but that those who didn’t believe him were merely jealous of the attention he was getting – all based on the fact that the developers did make some money from it.
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I didn't see the pictures either, on both FF and IE (ugh). Found the problem was Kaspersky Internet Security, which includes an ad-blocker. Added https://thedailywtf.com/images/ads/* to the white list and I could see them just fine.
What I like about The Last One is that it appears to be produced by "D J Al Systems Ltd.", giving me visions of some cheesy 80's club DJ trying to flog software.
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I'm old enough to remember these products (except LanLink). I was a Turbo Pascal fan, but I bought Mystic Pascal based on that ad. When I received it, I discovered that it was a hideous broken partial implementation of (standard) Pascal, with no floating-point (promised in the next version) and no strings. It was so bad I actually demanded a refund.
I don't think I bought TransLisp, but I did buy one or two products from Solution Systems: a different Lisp and a Forth, I think. Both were decent products to learn on.
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TRWTF: Trying to view curious perversions in Information Technology through IE6...
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It's EVE Online
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David Parnas said it best:
"Automatic programming has always been a euphemism for programming in a higher-level language than was then available to the programmer."
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What do you have against Irish Girl, you heartless bastard?
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Can't see the images in IE or Firefox. Somethings weird
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It's a post by another one of those moronic lusers who thinks that everything's a big conspiracy.
Do you still believe that the guvmint is hidin' ail-ee-ins and Yew Eff Ohs in Area 51, too?
VERY annoying.
Also EXTREMELY annoying are the people (like you) who like to moan and bitch and complain about a site trying to get a little money back that they spend to provide the very people that are complaining (like you) with a little entertainment.
Gee, that makes you at least TWICE as annoying, doesn't it?
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Nothing in IE7, FF3 or Chrome, or Opera on Vista; works well in Chrome on XP. I think Alex just pulled a second-order funny. The images I get on Vista are 1x1 pixel GIFs. I don't have ad-blocking anything installed anywhere.
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Every organization I have ever been in, it always seems like there is one or two people like this. The ones that always want to assume the worst possible motives for everything someone else does. I think it speaks alot more about their character than the people they accuse.
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Same here. No images, just text for me.
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10 PRINT"YOU HAVE BEEN SWINDLED! "; 20 GOTO 10
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I don't really see why most of these ads are WTFs, except to someone who fundamentally believes that microcomputers are toys and can't do anything sophisticated. But then, those people wouldn't be reading the magazines in the first place.
"The Last One" might have been very badly marketed, but it wasn't a complete lie. If someone with more business sense had done the marketing (starting with a better name), it might be remembered today with awe instead of ridicule.
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This is the last comment you'll ever need.
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The Last One reminds me of The Customer-Friendly System.
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If anything, Lisp is the easiest language to learn. It's all the other ones that are crufted up with unnecessary syntax.
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Fortran used to be known as "The FORTRAN Automatic Coding System".
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Projects promoting programming in "natural language" are intrinsically doomed to fail.
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What is the point of trying to thwart people who use adblock? You only get paid if people click on the ads, and people who use Adblock will probably not clock on the ads.
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WHY? What is wrong with registering for the site? Do you enjoy typing the CAPTCHA in? Or do you think Alex has some nefarious plans to sell the massive email list?
I also don't understand these people who insist on installing things in their browser that intentionally blocks content. Or who use ISPs that do the same thing (unless you are Australian)
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I can't see any pics in this post... :(
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itasoftware--was that an anathem reference?
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Hey... Alex... please please can you...
Add a button I/we can click that allows us to send some $$$s in a quick'n'easy way
Put up a graph somewhere on the site that shows the donations you've received - it'd be fascinating to see how much you actually received, and (however bizarre this might sound) it'd feel more like we were actually part of supporting something if we could see our contribution representing some fraction of a pixel on the graph :D
Don't /really/ care about the adverts; leave em up... but maybe at some point you'd find you didn't /need/ to have them up there? :)
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I still remember when The Last One came out and I was a little worried about my career choice. Then they released The Last One v2.0 and my worries subsided.
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The Software Link also put out PC/MOS-386, which we survived on for two or three years (88-90, maybe) between our multiuser CP/M machine (Molecular Computer, had about a dozen dumb terminals talking to Z80 boards on a backplane talking to another Z80 board talking to a hard drive) and our first Novell LAN. Really wasn't that bad for the time.
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"The Last One", with its 'take this ad into your local dealer and ask him for further details' sounds more like a hazing prank than a genuine ad...
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It did produce programs that worked, and were about average for simple applications of that era, but it was very limited in what you could do. Dredging the depths of my memory the big show stopper was that it could not produce code with "decorations" such as reverse video and underline (which we used a lot to make complex on-screen forms readable) and although we could have modified the generated BASIC code - that would have been a nightmare!
From memory the generated code looked something like this:
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Am I the only one who noticed that, according to the site, the Mystic Pascal compiler was submitted on January 1, 1900?
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Or, more conveniently, Page Information -> Media in Firefox.
Quote from the third last paragraph in the article: "This development marks the end of the unwitting tyranny of the computer industry." :-)
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And now for something completely different: In the Windows menu of my Firefox 3 (Mac), this page is displayed as "What the Ad? - Big P...ises". Take care - this may leave your spouse, boss or coworker with a wrong impression. :-)
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What is the font of the main text on that "Last One" ad? It is used in many old computer-related ads.
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Found more info on The Last One:
Development of The Last One (paper) - British program generator
David Tebbutt, Editor of Personal Computer World magazine, 14 Rathbone Place, London, W1P IDE, England. Tel: 01-637 7991
David James, Creator of The Last One, Eurotyres Building, Station Road, Ilminster, Somerset, England. Tel: 04605 3011.
OVERVIEW
It's here at last: a computer system which generates genuine program code. No more bolting together pre-written modules, doctored by parameters. No more having to write the odd patch or additional program by hand. This systems accepts program and suite designs at the flowchart level and generates the code necessary to meet your needs. Exactly.
We at PCW couldn't really believe it either, so we spent a lot of time with David James, the system's creator, putting The Last One through its paces. Sure, we found a number of things which could be improved, but the fact is that David has created a remarkable system which really does write genuine programs.
In this conference session you will learn not only what The Last One is but, perhaps more importantly, also how someone in complete isolation, with no previous computing experience, spent over seven years and a personal fortune developing such a system.
David Tebbutt will present the paper and David James will answer your questions.
THE SYSTEM
The Last One allows its user to enter a program design by selecting from various flowcharting options displayed on the VDU. During entry of these flowchart selections, the system will ask any questions necessary to its complete 'understanding' of each line. For example, an instruction to the system to ask for an appropriate file step is completed, so the display changes 'read from file' will provoke reference. As each flowchart to show the program design up to that stage.
Once the whole flowchart has been entered, the system examines it for completeness and logic. Should it find any gaps or illogicalities then system will interrogate the user further, until its 'understanding' is complete.
From this point on, The Last One becomes completely automatic and generates appropriate program coding. At the time of writing this was being produced in Basic on an Ohio C3C. There is no real reason why code shouldn't be generated in any other language, it's just that Basic was seen to be the 'lingua franca' of the micro world. Since earlier versions of the system have run on a variety of machines including Tandy, Apple, PET, Sorcerer and even an HP-41C, conversion of the current version to other machines should pose few problems.
One task performed by The Last One which hasn't been mentioned is that it gives the user the opportunity to define his file requirements. The user describes the field names required, the field lengths and type of content and the system does the actual file creation for him. Obviously, he will be expected to include programs in the suite which enable these files to be filled with appropriate data.
On the C3C, 100 lines of bug-free Basic code can be generated in around five minutes. Since this particular system uses Winchester disks, you could expect a floppy disk, stringy floppy or cassette tape system to run correspondingly slower. Still, whatever version you end up with, it's almost certain to beat the best programmer for both speed and accuracy!
Now, what always happens when you present that final, debugged program to the average user? You've got it - he suddenly realises that it's not quite what he originally had in mind! It is polite to draw a veil across what usually happens next, but with The Last One there's no problem. You can change anything in the system and the program code is automatically regenerated to reflect the change. The Last One may ask the odd question or two, but these will only relate to the parts of the system being modified. Even file layouts can be changed, whether the files are already in use or not. And, here's a neat trick: any programs affected by a file layout amendment will also be regenerated taking this into account.
This all means that, for the first time, systems can be modified to reflect a user's changing needs without it costing him an arm and a leg. The next page shows an outline flowchart of The Last One. You will notice a 'system' function and an 'enquiry' function. The first 'steers' the user through the stages necessary for the generation of a system, while the second helps the user keep track of where he is with respect to his flowcharts, his files or The Last One itself.
BACKGROUND
The story started back in 1974 when David James bought a Wang 2200 to help run his 'leisure bond' business. He bought the machine, a statistical package and then booked himself on a course to learn Basic programming. All went smoothly for a couple of months then David realised that the package didn't quite do what he needed. He asked Wang to make the necessary modifications and was amazed when they quoted a hefty price for doing the work. David had always assumed that computers would be used to make program modifications at very low cost.
Not wishing to pay Wang for the work, David decided to do the job himself. Soon he began wondering whether he might not be able to program the computer to run his business, taking all the logical decisions for him. Before long he had embarked on a course of action which would completely change his life. He decided to write what he called a 'general-purpose', open-ended, problem solving, learning program'. In other words, what you or I might call an artificial intelligence system. He honestly believed that he was way behind everyone else in this and that it would take him about a year to finish the job. Fortunately, perhaps, he had no idea of the magnitude of the task nor where it was to lead him.
He spent the first fifteen months building a system around some highly structured data-bases, coupled with a chunk of code which could actually learn and develop itself. Unfortunately, by the time the system was written, it was clear that it could never run fast enough to be of practical use. Development ground to a halt while David figured a way out of this predicament In the end he used the AI system itself to generate the programs necessary to overcome the problems.
By September 1977, David had a logic-solving system which, if it didn't 'understand', asked questions of the user until it had sufficient knowledge to be able to represent the logic mathematically. The system appeared to 'pause' while the logic was developed. On one occasion the problem was so complex that the system 'paused' for three weeks. Sensibly, David had built some sort of trace into the program so he was able to check periodically and make sure it hadn't got stuck in a loop. Once the system's grasp of the logic was complete it then went ahead and turned this into a running program. The next year or so was spent 'tweaking' the system. Redundant code was removed, error trapping included and the system put through its paces on a real project.
By this time David's businesses, which he'd all but ignored, crashed leaving him destitute. The receiver took away his beloved computers - by then David had acquired a TRS-80 and an Apple, as well as the Wang - and left him feeling very, very low indeed. In March 1979 his plight was mentioned in another British computer journal, 'Computer Talk' and, fortunately for David, this was read by one 'Scotty' Bambury. Now Scotty is a successful businessman who, like David, was wondering whether he could program a computer to write programs. He'd got as far as transferring his own responsibilities to others in preparation for his entry into programming when he read about David. Scotty realised immediately that the work had already been done and promptly offered David the opportunity to carry on with his research. The only stipulation was that David should concentrate on making the program writing routines commercial before returning to his AI system. David readily agreed and soon began work using a disk-based Sorcerer running under CP/M.
The first version of The Last One used pre-written program modules which were set according to the flowchart options chosen and then bolted together to form a program. This version had its weaknesses so versions two and three quickly followed. Two worked on the same basis but also had a file creation module, while three added the ability to modify flowcharts.
By mid-1980 Scotty was getting so excited that he offered to buy David any computer he wanted. David rushed out and ordered an Ohio C3C with two terminals, 96k memory, a printer, twin 8" floppies and a 23 Mbyte Winchester disk as well. All in all, a rather nice set-up. Versions four, five and six of the system were just like one, two and three except that they ran on the Ohio machine.
By the end of August 1980 the novelty of the big machine had worn off and David considered that the programs were still running too slowly. At this point he decided to take a week's holiday and, while he was away, he hit on the answer to his problem. By mid-September version seven was up and running. Gone were the parameter-driven, pre-written modules and in their place was a system which generated true Basic code.
Version eight came hot on the heels of version seven, but offered the added advantage of the automatic generation of fresh program code whenever file layouts were changed.
By now David had taken the project just about as far as he could without outside help. Accordingly, a number of computer professionals were approached and invited to see the system and give their comments. Without exception these people were astounded at The Last One, especially since David had developed the system in almost complete isolation and without any previous computing experience.
Version nine - the current version at the time of writing - is well under way, incorporating most of the suggestions made by the various computer experts. It is now possible to incorporate previously written programs into a new program. Some fairly extensive screen formatting facilities and a host of changes aimed at making the system user-friendly have also been added. The British government's Department of Industry is now very interested in the project and is paying David to get version nine running on a popular disk-based micro. It looks as if, very soon, The Last One will be finished and ready for the world markets.
AND FINALLY
The Last One was originally conceived as a way of generating programs to help Scotty run his business. The aim was to produce the programs in such a way that they could be modified easily as Scotty's requirements changed. As development progressed it became clear that here was the potential for an exciting software product which could mark the beginning of a new era in computing: an era in which the user can receive exactly the system he requires and which can change along with his changing needs. No more will he be held to ransom by a data processing industry largely indifferent to the need for systems to be easily changed and intolerant of the slightest deviation by the user from original system specifications.
For Scotty and David the prospects are very exciting - having both been users they now have an opportunity to set up a company which specialises in giving the user exactly what he wants, when he wants it.
Reference: Personal Computer World, February 1981 - The Last One. gives more background material on Scotty and David as well as explaining the use of the system from the operator's point of view.
Note: Trade Mark, Copyright and Patent applications have all been filed for The Last One.
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I wish GCC had color graphics with pan and zoom. That would be awesome!
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The most interesting thing for me about these adverts in the line in the last image proudly stating that their compiler doesn't have copy protection, it seems like a pretty progressive attitude for the times.
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Heh, I remember Mystic Pascal. At the time it was pretty awesome. Like me it's pretty much old and outdated at this point.
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and your whining rant is 3 times as annoying. This one is the least annoying because it's short
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Attn Rowan: Never post again anywhere.
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Personally, I don't think the term 'Inner Platform Effect' really expresses what's fundamentally wrong with the idea behind TLO.
The basic issue is that most people either do not think logically enough or do not think thoroughly enough to be able to write complex, working programs in any language. Many people, in fact, do not do either. Worse still, many of these people have no recognition of this deficit. For example, probably nearly half of the people who legitimately wind up on thedailywtf featured articles and don't understand why fall into this category (the other half being autistic enough that they simply can't understand why their code was illegible or the behavior was incorrect.)
I believe this to be completely orthogonal to the Inner Platform Effect. I can imagine someone managing to evade the IPE in their attempt to write their version of The Last One. However, unless they can produce a working 'Miss Cleo' interface, I can't imagine them able to avoid the issues with garbage input.
Of course, that problem could simply result in consultancy fees for The Last One authors.
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you can do anything you want to