Remembering Gary Kildall

Rembering Gary Kildall


I was deeply saddened to learn of Gary's passing. He contributed greatly
to the computer revolution, perhaps most by condensing and distilling
large computer software to make it available for personal computers.


Gary enabled the beginning of the PC by writing CP/M, the first operating
system for microcomputers. It supplied all of the key features that other
programmers needed to write software for the new machines. Though the A>
prompt has been superseded by more complex user interfaces, CP/M made
computers simple enough for ordinary people to use. CP/M defined what
micro-computer operating systems would look like into the 90's.


I knew Gary as a compiler writer and respected him most for his languages.
He designed wonderful languages, including PL/M, PL/1-80, and DR LOGO. He
wrote the most elegant code I've seen, extremely compact, with exactly
enough functionality to get the job done. My personal favorites include
the pattern matcher in PL/1-80 and the screen editor in DR LOGO.


May we remember Gary Kildall fondly whenever we strive for the simple
elegance that marked his code.


Chuck Spitz
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