The Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer

work by Wheeler, Gill and Wilkes

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July 20, 2026

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The work by Wheeler, Gill, and Wilkes, titled The Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer, was the first book on computer programming. It emerged from the development of the EDSAC, the first full-size stored-program computer, built at the University of Cambridge by Maurice Wilkes and his colleagues.12

A stored-program computer, a concept introduced by John von Neumann, stores instructions in its memory, allowing it to perform various tasks. This was a significant advancement over earlier computers where instructions were determined by wiring or punched tape. EDSAC, operational in 1949, was built to study computer programming issues, recognizing their importance alongside hardware.321

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Maurice Wilkes
Wheeler and Stanley Gill The Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer (1951), the first book on computer programming. EDSAC was used for research in physics, astronomy, and meteorology, and biochemist John Kendrew used EDSAC to determine the three-dimensional structure of the muscle protein
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Wheeler and Stanley Gill The Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer (1951), the first book on computer programming. EDSAC was used for research in physics, astronomy, and meteorology, and biochemist John Kendrew used EDSAC to determine the three-dimensional structure of the muscle protein
Read More