Address Language

a formal language for describing data conversion processes in a digital computer. It was developed at the Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR as an automatic programming input language. The description of the computing process in address language is known as the address algorithm. A set of addresses is considered in the address language in addition to the set of data elements (initial data, intermediary data, and final results). In special cases addresses may be numbers of digital computer memory locations in which the initial data may be found. Each information element is in one-to-one correspondence with a definitive address. Some addresses may be, in turn, in one-to-one correspondence with other addresses. If B is an information element or an address which is in one-to-one correspondence with an address A, then this will be expressed in address language as the formula ‘A = B. The expression consisting of mathematical symbols and the sign (’) is called an address function. The address formula handles computation of new values and transfer of those values to specific addresses and thereby constitutes two address functions joined by the transfer symbol (=>). The notation B => A means that the element of information or the address B is written into the address A. (When that operation is completed, ‘ A = B.)

The address algorithm is a sequence of address formulas and of some other symbols and is converted with the aid of a special translator program into a program in the language of the digital computer. The address language is rendered more precise for each specific translator.