SIMULA

computer language

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July 15, 2026

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SIMULA was a pioneering computer language developed by Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard in Norway. It introduced the concept of object-oriented programming, a method that packages data and operations together, hiding internal details while making operations publicly accessible. This approach, first seen in Simula I (1967) and later in Simula 67, helped manage complexity in large programs by allowing programmers to work with individual components in isolation. The principles established in SIMULA laid the groundwork for many subsequent popular programming languages, including Java and C++. Dahl and Nygaard received the A.M. Turing Award in 2001 for their groundbreaking work.12

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Ole-Johan Dahl
…and Nygaard devised two languages: Simula I, meant for simulations, and Simula 67, a general-purpose language. As the first object-oriented programming languages, Simula I and Simula 67 packaged data and the operations on them so that only the operations are publicly accessible and internal details of the data structures are…
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…and Nygaard devised two languages: Simula I, meant for simulations, and Simula 67, a general-purpose language. As the first object-oriented programming languages, Simula I and Simula 67 packaged data and the operations on them so that only the operations are publicly accessible and internal details of the data structures are…
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Kristen Nygaard
Dahl, the computer programming language SIMULA, which used modules of data, called “objects,” to process data more efficiently than was possible with previous complex software instructions.
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Dahl, the computer programming language SIMULA, which used modules of data, called “objects,” to process data more efficiently than was possible with previous complex software instructions.
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