science

Language H

Language H is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Language H rather than just read about it. In short: Language H is a proprietary, procedural programming language created by NCR based on COBOL. The first compiler was developed in August 1962 to run on the National-Elliott 405M and produce object code for the National-Elliott 803B.

Key takeaways

Language H belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Language H to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Language H from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Language H is a proprietary, procedural programming language created by NCR based on COBOL. The first compiler was developed in August 1962 to run on the National-Elliott 405M and produce object code for the National-Elliott 803B. It is believed that the "H" stands for John C Harwell.

Syntax Language H programs consist of a heading section followed by sets of statements called "chapters." Comments are introduced and terminated by asterisks. It has 84 reserved keywords. Some of them are:

READ, PRINT, PUNCH, NUMBER, MAX, BEING, FROM, CHANNEL, DIGIT, STERLING, CHARACTERS, UP, TO, RADICES, QUANTITY, DECIMAL, POINT, INADMISSIBLE, INPUT, CONTROL, ERROR, SEEN-CHARACTER, OPERAND, CALCULATE, HOLD, OFF, ON, SEE, AT, POSITION, PLACES, FILE, GET, AGAIN, WITH, FINISH, REEL-END, UNOBTAINABLE, END-OF-FILE, MARKER, BRANCH, OR, GET-AGAIN, ACCORDING, SEQUENTIAL, FILING, DUMP, DATA, PROCESSING, PROGRAM, FOR, CHAPTER, NOTE, IN, OBEY, AND, ARE, AT, BY, IN, IS

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Language H

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Language H claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Language H before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Language H ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Language H

In research: Language H appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Language H in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Language H is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Procedural programming languages, Programming language topic stubs, Programming languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Language H outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Language H in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Language H means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Language H out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Language H in simple terms?

Why does Language H matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Language H?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Language H.