Program (machine)

Set of instructions used to control the behavior of a machine

A program is a set of data or instructions that controls the behavior of a machine. Examples include:

Mechanisms

The automatic flute player, which was invented in the 9th century by the Banū Mūsā brothers in Baghdad, is the first known example of a programmable machine. The work of the Banu Musa was influenced by their Hellenistic forebears, but it also makes significant improvements over Greek creation.^[1] The pinned-barrel mechanism, which allowed for programmable variations in the rhythm and melody of the music, was the key contribution given by the Banu Musa.^[2]
In 1206, the Muslim inventor Ismail al-Jazari (in the Artuqid Sultnate) described a drum machine which may have been an example of a programmable automaton.^[3]
Barrels, punched cards, and music rolls encoding music to be played by player pianos, fairground organs, barrel organs, and music boxes.
The sequence of punched cards used by a Jacquard loom to produce a given pattern within woven cloth. Invented in 1801, it used holes in punched cards to represent sewing loom arm movements in order to generate decorative patterns automatically.

Electronics

Some programmable equipment and appliances only allow their users to select predefined options and/or set predefined parameters. The user is not required or allowed to write a computer program (textual, visual, or otherwise).

The "program" of a programmable thermostat consist of user-changeable parameters (mode, time, temperature) in the entries of a schedule.
The "program" or patch of a programmable music synthesizer adjusts parameters and switches that interconnect modules.
The "program" of many programmable integrated circuits is data that it permanently stores for retrieval (programmable ROM etc.), and/or govern operation (programmable logic device etc.).

Computers

[edit ]

A computer program (software) is a list of instructions that can be executed by a computer.

When a programmable computer, programmable calculator, or programmable logic controller executes a program, its processor follows the instructions or commands that the program contains. Each instruction produces effects that alter the state of the machine according to its predefined meaning.