Re: First language with conditional assignment?

> compilers@is-not-my.name wrote:
>
> ALGOL, I believe ALGOL 60 (I don't know the versions very well)
> has the "conditional arithmetic expression" as:
>
> A := IF I<0 THEN R ELSE 3;
>
> That is the example from Baumann, et. al, "Introduction
> to ALGOL" from 1964, I believe describing ALGOL 60.
> I don't know when it originated in ALGOL.


Thanks. I had thought I remembered something from ALGOL but I don't have any
manuals handy and I haven't used it in ages. It's interesting to see just
how much influence ALGOL has had on language design. Many features are so
basic and obvious looking back, at the time how revolutionary they were! I
don't know that I ever used ALGOL or ALGOL60. I believe the only compiler I
used was from ALGOL 68 but it's been a long time.


> (Note that the term "conditional assignment" might be used
> to describe the C construct if(a) b=c; and that many RISC
> architectures have a "conditional load" instruction that allows
> doing conditional operations without branching.)


I guess I should have been more clear in my question. Sorry for not having
given an example. But you answered my question anyway! Thanks Glen.

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