Focus on Fortran

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FOCUS ON FORTRAN

Short for FORmula TRANslator, FORTRAN was the first widely used high-level language. The high costs associated with programming in the mid-1950s spurred the development of FORTRAN, which was intended to make programming easier. A team, led by John Backus, created the language. FORTRAN I was released in 1957, followed closely by FORTRAN II, released in the spring of 1958.