computer science

SYMPL

SYMPL is a computer 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 SYMPL rather than just read about it. In short: SYMPL is an obsolete programming language developed by the Control Data Corporation (CDC) for use on the CDC 6000 series computer systems in the 1970s and 1980s. It was based on a subset of CDC's version of JOVIAL, as an alternative to assembly language.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

SYMPL is an obsolete programming language developed by the Control Data Corporation (CDC) for use on the CDC 6000 series computer systems in the 1970s and 1980s. It was based on a subset of CDC's version of JOVIAL, as an alternative to assembly language. A number of important CDC software products were implemented in SYMPL, including compilers, libraries, a full-screen editor, and major subsystems. SYMPL is a compiled, imperative, and procedural language. Compared to the Fortran of the day, SYMPL supports:

Strong data typing: All variables must be declared before use Boolean variables Variable bit width integers (both signed and unsigned) "Status" (enumerated integer) variables Data structures - Including "based" dynamically allocated structures Structured programming constructs Nested procedures In-fix "bead" (bit) and character manipulation A simple macro facility A distinct feature of SYMPL, also found in JOVIAL tables, is that arrays of multi-item variables can be specified with either a "serial" or "parallel" memory layout. A "serial" layout has array entries following one another in memory as is usual in most computer languages. A "parallel" layout groups each of the individual items within each of the array entries together. For example, if each array entry has items x, y, and z, a parallel layout would group x[0]...x[n] together in memory, followed by y[0]...y[n], and then z[0]...z[n]. This has the effect of potentially speeding up access to all the same items across the array - as they are all contiguous with one another. Simplifications compared to JOVIAL include: no fixed point data type, no table structures, and no COMPOOL concept. Though in lieu of COMPOOLs, a CDC-specific system text capability allows encapsulation of common data declarations.

External links Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer program - written in SYMPL SYMPL coding standard SYMPL Reference Manual SYMPL Users Guide

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SYMPL

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SYMPL claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer 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 SYMPL 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 SYMPL 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 SYMPL

In research: SYMPL appears in computer 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 SYMPL 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: SYMPL is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Control Data Corporation mainframe software, Procedural programming languages, Programming language topic stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SYMPL 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 SYMPL in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SYMPL 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 SYMPL out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SYMPL in simple terms?

Why does SYMPL matter?

Because it connects several computer 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 SYMPL?

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 SYMPL.