Actually no I've never written a compiler (but I managed a project where I had a guy do it for me.) I have implemented Fast Fourier Transforms and done Matrix mathematics on a computer (hey, I went to Berkeley, you think I was a shmuck?). And I remember the Z80 chip. I used that Commodore PET 'personal computer' to interface with my instruments (before we got that new 'high tech' Apple IIe). But I deliberately didn't learn Assembler for it (which I sorta needed to do), as I didn't want to 'clog' my brain with it. Instead I wrote a BASIC program to transfer the data to a VAX so I could use Fortran and some serious horsepower.
Actually no I've never written a compiler (but I managed a project where I had a guy do it for me.) I have implemented Fast Fourier Transforms and done Matrix mathematics on a computer (hey, I went to Berkeley, you think I was a shmuck?). And I remember the Z80 chip. I used that Commodore PET 'personal computer' to interface with my instruments (before we got that new 'high tech' Apple IIe). But I deliberately didn't learn Assembler for it (which I sorta needed to do), as I didn't want to 'clog' my brain with it. Instead I wrote a BASIC program to transfer the data to a VAX so I could use Fortran and some serious horsepower.