Who was first for a Pascal compiler?

Etienne Vautherin - 2025/02/06

This very simple question is an opportunity to test the latest generative AI models from OpenAI and DeepSeek.

The question pertains to a factual domain involving reasoning acuity. The study began when o1 was the default reasoning model for OpenAI; however, o3 was introduced during the comparison and was retained for this study.

Models testing shares the “Observer Effect” with quantum mechanics: the result of a prompt is influenced by the observation process (particularly by previous conversations)! With o3, OpenAI opportunely introduced the “Temporary Chat” feature, which could be used to eliminate this “Observer Effect.” However, DeepSeek’s memory cannot be easily erased, which is why the DeepSeek prompt begins here with “Ignoring previous conversations…”.

The primary discovery is that, with o3-mini, the default concept of “first” for a compiler seems to refer more to prominence rather than to seniority on a timeline. Adding the Web search option to o3-mini corrects this shortcoming.

Another fact is that UCSD Pascal was based on a “p-code” interpreter, introducing portability twenty years ahead of the JVM. Should we consider it a true compiler since it doesn’t create native code?

Below are the instructive contributions from ChatGPT and DeepSeek. The prompt also asks about the motivations for developing such a compiler and the actors involved. A such content will be useful to answer a larger question later: is a computing language still valuable when software can be created with no-code?

These conversations are only the factual beginning of this story, initially inspired by Borland’s early products, and whose next episode will be more personal…

Conversation list

ChatGPT o3-mini

ChatGPT o3-mini + Web search

DeepSeek DeepThing R1

The italic content is the reasoning part of the answers, which is very useful to understand the explorations done by the models.

ChatGPT o3-mini

Explain which company, Apple or Borland, has delivered the first Pascal compiler, then the first Object Pascal compiler. Enumerate the motivations and the main actors for the projects inside these companies.

Tracing Pascal compilers I’m gathering info on Apple and Borland’s Pascal compilers. Apple started with Apple Pascal in 1979, while Borland introduced Turbo Pascal in 1983.

Tracing Pascal milestones I’m piecing together info on Borland’s Turbo Pascal (1983) and Apple Pascal for Apple II series. Apple pioneered Pascal on Apple IIE in 1976, leading to Turbo Pascal’s emergence.

Piecing together the timeline It looks like Apple Pascal for the Apple II was released around 1979 or 1980. Borland’s Turbo Pascal came out in 1983, known for its speed and development environment.

Tracking the origins Apple pioneered the object-oriented Pascal language for the Lisa project, while Borland’s Delphi popularized Object Pascal. The question contrasts Apple’s pioneering work with Borland’s commercial success.

Tracing Pascal milestones I’m charting the distinctions between Apple’s Apple Pascal (1979) and Borland’s Turbo Pascal (1983), noting Turbo Pascal’s notable integrated development environment status.

Tracing Object Pascal I’m working through the origins of Object Pascal, noting Borland’s extension for Turbo Pascal 5.5 and Apple’s Lisa Pascal’s initial object-oriented features.

Piecing together the timeline Apple’s “Lisa Pascal” for the Apple Lisa in the early 1980s spanned object-oriented features, while Borland’s Turbo Pascal in 1983 surged forward with revolutionary PC development.

Revisiting my memory I’m tracing the timeline, identifying Apple’s Lisa Pascal for the Apple Lisa in 1981 and Borland’s Turbo Pascal in 1983, but UCSD Pascal for Apple II precedes them in the early 1980s.

Identifying the standout Borland’s Turbo Pascal (1983) was revolutionary for PC development, generating native code and eclipsing earlier Pascal compilers. This evolution highlights Borland’s pioneering role in the Pascal compiler landscape.

Pinpointing the origin The first personal computer Pascal compiler likely originated with Apple for the Apple II in 1979. Turbo Pascal from Borland, which generated native code, emerged in 1983 and set new benchmarks.

Tracing the timeline Borland’s Turbo Pascal, released in 1983, was the first native Pascal compiler for the IBM PC. Meanwhile, Apple’s early 1980s object-oriented Pascal hints at pre-Turbo Pascal developments.

Mapping out Object Pascal Judging by the timeline, Borland’s Delphi in 1995 stands out. Apple’s “MacApp” might have started with Object Pascal, but Delphi’s launch marked significant progress.

Tracing Apple Pascal Apple’s Pascal system for the Apple II most likely used UCSD Pascal, an interpreter, while Apple Pascal for the Apple III and Lisa might have employed compiled Pascal.

Locating the origin Apple Pascal for the Apple III and Lisa seems to have been a native Pascal system. Turbo Pascal from Borland, also launched in 1983, may share this space.

Tracing Turbo Pascal Turbo Pascal, Borland’s fast compiling Pascal system, was released in 1983, leading the way. Apple Pascal for Apple III and Lisa maybe followed, though unclear which came first.

Tracking the evolution Turbo Pascal, Borland’s pioneering fast compiler, was first in 1983, followed by Apple’s native Pascal compilers. Notably, Object Pascal, Borland’s next step, would later evolve into Delphi.

Tracing Apple Pascal Thinking through Apple’s involvement with Pascal: they adopted UCSD Pascal on the Apple II but did not release a native Pascal compiler. MacApp might have used a Pascal dialect.

Tracking Pascal advancements Apple’s UCSD Pascal system debuted on the Apple II. Borland introduced Object Pascal with Turbo Pascal 5.5 or Delphi, marking a key progression in the Pascal language’s evolution.

Noting Borland’s progression Borland crafted Turbo Pascal’s fast, integrated development system for IBM PCs. Then, their groundbreaking Object Pascal compiler evolved into the Delphi rapid application development environment for Windows.

Tracking Borland’s strategy Borland, led by Philippe Kahn, focused on a dynamic market. Turbo Pascal’s success fueled the creation of Object Pascal, which later evolved into Delphi, driven by notable figures like Anders Hejlsberg.

Highlighting Borland’s progress Borland, with leaders like Philippe Kahn and Anders Hejlsberg, spearheaded Turbo Pascal’s affordable, powerful development tools, setting the stage for Object Pascal and Delphi’s object-oriented programming innovations.

Encouraging Pascal’s growth Apple’s embrace of Pascal aimed at the educational sector, integrating it into the Lisa project. UCSD Pascal was licensed, though Apple did not create a native Pascal compiler.

Highlighting Borland’s leadership Borland made remarkable strides with Turbo Pascal for the IBM PC. Their Oracle Pascal compiler and Delphi followed, showcasing significant progress in programming technology under their guidance.

Highlighting team’s efforts Borland’s Turbo Pascal introduced an efficient, budget-friendly native compiler for PCs. Apple, meanwhile, worked on an interpreted version for the Lisa system, indicating diverse approaches.

Shaping Object Pascal Borland’s Turbo Pascal laid the groundwork for Object Pascal, enabling object-oriented programming. Anders Hejlsberg’s design was crucial for managing complexity in large software projects.

When we look at the history of Pascal compilers on personal computers, two names come up frequently – Apple and Borland. Although Apple was instrumental in popularizing Pascal (by licensing and porting the UCSD Pascal system to its early machines), it was Borland that made the breakthrough on two counts:

The First (Native) Pascal Compiler:
- What Happened:
  While early Pascal implementations (such as the UCSD Pascal system) were available on many platforms (including Apple’s), these systems typically compiled to an intermediate “p‐code” and were either interpreted or executed on a virtual machine. Borland’s release of Turbo Pascal in 1983 changed the game by being a fast, native-code compiler with an integrated development environment. It compiled directly to machine code, which made it extremely fast and suitable for the burgeoning IBM PC market.
- Motivations at Borland:
  The company’s goal was to offer a development tool that was both affordable and extremely efficient. At a time when many compilers were slow and clumsy to use, Borland’s Turbo Pascal aimed to “turbocharge” the development process – hence the name. This meant not only speeding up compile times but also giving programmers an environment where writing, testing, and debugging code could be done quickly.
- Main Actors:
  - Philippe Kahn, the founder of Borland, was the driving entrepreneurial force behind this product.
  - Anders Hejlsberg (who later would be influential in many subsequent programming tools) was one of the key architects behind Turbo Pascal. His innovations in compiler technology were central to delivering a product that was both fast and user friendly.
The First Object Pascal Compiler:
- What Happened:
  As software projects grew in size and complexity, there was an increasing need for language features that helped manage that complexity – namely, object-oriented programming (OOP). Borland extended the Pascal language to incorporate object-oriented features, evolving Turbo Pascal into what became known as Object Pascal. This evolution eventually led to the release of Delphi in 1995, which combined an object-oriented language with a rapid application development environment for Windows.
- Motivations at Borland:
  The move toward object orientation was driven by the desire to provide developers with the means to write more modular, maintainable, and reusable code. Object Pascal was designed to make it easier to build large-scale applications by grouping data and behavior into “objects,” an approach that had already proven successful in other languages and paradigms.
- Main Actors:
  - Again, Anders Hejlsberg played a pivotal role in designing the language extensions that allowed Pascal to embrace object orientation.
  - The team at Borland, under the vision of Philippe Kahn, worked to seamlessly integrate these new features into an environment that many developers found both powerful and approachable.

In Summary

Apple’s Role:
Apple was an early adopter and promoter of Pascal on personal computers (largely through the UCSD Pascal system, which was widely used on the Apple II and related platforms). However, these implementations were not “native” compilers in the sense that Turbo Pascal was later to be.
Borland’s Achievements:
Borland delivered two major innovations:
1. Turbo Pascal (1983): The first fast, native-code Pascal compiler that also featured an integrated development environment.
2. Object Pascal/Delphi: The first compiler (and development system) that brought object-oriented programming to Pascal, thus paving the way for a whole new generation of Windows development tools.

Thus, while both companies contributed to the popularity of Pascal, it was Borland that delivered the first native Pascal compiler and later the first Object Pascal compiler, driven by the clear market need for speed, integration, and modern programming paradigms – with key contributions from figures such as Philippe Kahn and Anders Hejlsberg.

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ChatGPT o3-mini + Web search

Both in the Pascal‐and later in the Object Pascal arena, Apple was the first to “get there” while Borland made its revolutionary mark later by packaging a fast, inexpensive, integrated system for the PC market. In short:

The First Pascal Compiler:
– Apple’s Role:
Apple licensed the UCSD Pascal system in the late 1970s and released “Apple Pascal” (an implementation largely based on UCSD Pascal) for its Apple II/III systems and later for the Lisa. This compiler was available as early as 1979 and became the main tool for developing software (including parts of the Lisa operating environment).
– Borland’s Role:
Borland’s Turbo Pascal first appeared in 1983. Although its release dramatically changed the market for Pascal development on the PC with its integrated development environment (IDE), fast compile times, and very low price, it was not the first Pascal compiler – Apple’s Apple Pascal preceded it.
The First Object Pascal Compiler:
– Apple’s Role:
For the Lisa, Apple needed a language that could support the emerging ideas of object‑oriented programming while still remaining rooted in Pascal’s structured simplicity. In the early 1980s (around 1983–1985), Apple’s engineers (working in what was initially known as Lisa Pascal) began adding object‑oriented extensions. Under the leadership of figures such as Larry Tesler—and in consultation with Niklaus Wirth, the creator of Pascal—Apple developed an extended version (originally nicknamed Clascal) that eventually evolved into what is officially known as Object Pascal. This version became the primary language for Mac development (especially in frameworks like MacApp) in the mid‑1980s.
– Borland’s Role:
Borland later incorporated object‑oriented features into its Turbo Pascal product line (starting with version 5.5 in 1989) and then evolved these ideas into Delphi. Although Delphi (and its underlying Object Pascal dialect) became hugely influential on the PC platform, Borland’s work built on the groundwork that Apple had already established.

Motivations and Main Actors

Apple’s Projects:
• Motivations:
– Apple needed a high‑level, strongly‑typed, structured language to support its new hardware (the Apple II, Lisa, and later the Macintosh) and to facilitate the development of its graphical user interfaces and system software.
– In an era when teaching programming with clear, disciplined constructs was gaining importance, Apple’s adoption of Pascal (via UCSD Pascal) helped to ensure that its systems were developed with reliability and maintainability in mind.
• Main Actors:
– Larry Tesler: Played a central role in guiding the object‑oriented extensions; his work (in consultation with Niklaus Wirth) led to what became the Lisa’s Clascal and later Apple’s Object Pascal.
– Niklaus Wirth: Although not an Apple employee, his design of Pascal and subsequent consultation were vital to the evolution of the language at Apple.
– Other contributors (for example, Ken Doyle and Barry Haynes) helped refine the environment and later the Mac‑specific frameworks (like MacApp) that were built on these language extensions.

Borland’s Projects:
• Motivations:
– Recognizing that the traditional “edit–compile–link” cycle was too slow and that professional tools were prohibitively expensive, Borland set out to develop a compiler–IDE that was fast, compact, and affordable for the emerging IBM PC market.
– Turbo Pascal’s integrated environment dramatically reduced development turnaround times, which was a key selling point in an era of limited computing resources.
• Main Actors:
– Philippe Kahn: The entrepreneur and founder of Borland who spotted the market opportunity and pushed for an affordable, high‑performance development tool.
– Anders Hejlsberg: The brilliant compiler architect who initially developed the “Blue Label” compiler for the Nascom platform (later evolving into Turbo Pascal) and who later played a major role in incorporating object‑oriented features—eventually leading to Delphi.

In Summary

– First Pascal Compiler: Apple delivered it (as Apple Pascal based on UCSD Pascal for the Apple II/III and Lisa) before Borland’s Turbo Pascal appeared in 1983.
– First Object Pascal Compiler: Apple again was first, developing object‑oriented extensions (the Clascal/Apple Object Pascal system) for the Lisa (and later the Macintosh) in the mid‑1980s, while Borland later incorporated similar ideas into Turbo Pascal (and then Delphi).

These pioneering projects were driven by very different motivations: Apple was focused on building a robust software environment for its innovative, GUI‑driven hardware, enlisting key figures like Larry Tesler (with advice from Niklaus Wirth) to extend Pascal into the object‑oriented domain; Borland, on the other hand, was motivated by market opportunity on the PC, seeking to revolutionize development with a fast, low‑cost, integrated tool spearheaded by Philippe Kahn and engineered by Anders Hejlsberg.

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DeepSeek DeepThing R1

Ignoring previous discussions, explain which company, Apple or Borland, has delivered the first Pascal compiler, then the first Object Pascal compiler. Enumerate the motivations and the main actors for the projects inside these companies.

Okay, so I need to figure out which company, Apple or Borland, delivered the first Pascal compiler and then the first Object Pascal compiler. I remember that Pascal was created by Niklaus Wirth in the late 60s, and compilers were developed for various systems. But when it comes to the first Pascal compiler, I think it was actually developed by ETH Zurich, where Wirth worked. But the question is about Apple vs. Borland.

Wait, maybe the first Pascal compiler for microcomputers? Because Borland became known for Turbo Pascal in the 80s, which was very popular. But Apple had their own Pascal implementation for the Apple II and Lisa. Let me think. UCSD Pascal was a big thing in the late 70s, used on the Apple II. But was that developed by Apple? Or was it a separate project? UCSD Pascal was from the University of California, San Diego. So Apple might have used that. But Borland’s Turbo Pascal came out in 1983, right? So maybe Borland wasn’t the first. But the question is about Apple vs. Borland. So perhaps Apple didn’t make the first Pascal compiler, but maybe they were involved in an early one?

Wait, the first Pascal compiler was probably written for the CDC 6000 series mainframe by Wirth’s team. Then, UCSD Pascal was a port to microcomputers. So maybe neither Apple nor Borland made the first Pascal compiler. But the question is specifically between those two companies. Hmm.

Now, regarding Object Pascal. Object Pascal is an extension of Pascal adding object-oriented features. I think Apple was involved in Object Pascal for the Lisa and Macintosh. They worked with Niklaus Wirth to create Object Pascal. But when was that? The Apple Lisa came out in 1983, and the Macintosh in 1984. Meanwhile, Borland’s Turbo Pascal was released in 1983, but I’m not sure when they introduced Object Pascal. Turbo Pascal 5.5, maybe around 1989, added object-oriented features. So Apple might have been first with Object Pascal in 1983-1984. But I need to check the exact dates.

Main actors: For Apple, perhaps Larry Tesler, who worked on the Lisa project, was involved. He came from Xerox PARC. And they collaborated with Niklaus Wirth. For Borland, Anders Hejlsberg was the main developer of Turbo Pascal. Later, he worked on Object Pascal for Borland, which became the basis for Delphi.

Motivations: Apple wanted a high-level language for system and application development on the Lisa and Macintosh. They needed something more structured than BASIC. Borland’s motivation was to create a fast, affordable, and efficient compiler for the PC market, making Pascal more accessible to developers.

So putting it all together: The first Pascal compiler from these two companies would be Apple’s Pascal, which was based on UCSD Pascal, but when did they release it? UCSD Pascal was around 1978, and Apple II had it in the late 70s. But Apple didn’t develop UCSD Pascal. So maybe Borland’s Turbo Pascal was their own compiler, released in 1983. Wait, but UCSD Pascal was earlier. But the question is about Apple vs. Borland. If Apple used UCSD Pascal, but didn’t develop it themselves, then Borland might have been the first company between the two to deliver their own Pascal compiler. Or maybe Apple did create their own version?

I’m getting confused. Let me clarify:

UCSD Pascal was developed by UCSD, not Apple. Apple systems could run it, but Apple didn’t create it.

Borland’s Turbo Pascal (1983) was their own compiler, written by Anders Hejlsberg. So between Apple and Borland, Borland was the first to deliver a Pascal compiler, if Apple didn’t create their own. But wait, Apple did have Apple Pascal, which was a licensed version of UCSD Pascal for the Apple II, released in 1979. So Apple Pascal was available in 1979, which is earlier than Turbo Pascal in 1983. So Apple delivered the first Pascal compiler between the two. But was it their own or just a licensed version? The question says “which company… delivered the first Pascal compiler”. So even if it’s a licensed version, Apple delivered it first. Then Borland’s Turbo Pascal was their own compiler. But the first Pascal compiler overall was from ETH Zurich. But between Apple and Borland, Apple delivered first in 1979 with Apple Pascal (UCSD-based), and Borland in 1983 with Turbo Pascal.

For Object Pascal: Apple collaborated with Wirth to create Object Pascal for the Lisa in 1983. Borland introduced object-oriented features in Turbo Pascal 5.5 in 1989, and later Delphi’s Object Pascal in 1995. So Apple was first with Object Pascal. Main actors at Apple: Larry Tesler, Wayne Wesolowski, and collaboration with Niklaus Wirth. At Borland: Anders Hejlsberg for Turbo Pascal and later Object Pascal.

Motivations: Apple needed an OOP language for Lisa’s application development, leading to Object Pascal. Borland wanted to enhance Turbo Pascal with OOP features to compete and provide a better development environment.

Summary of the First Pascal and Object Pascal Compilers by Apple and Borland:

First Pascal Compiler:
- Apple delivered the first Pascal compiler between the two companies with Apple Pascal (based on UCSD Pascal) in 1979 for the Apple II. This was a licensed version of UCSD Pascal, adapted for Apple’s hardware.
- Borland introduced Turbo Pascal in 1983, a self-contained, fast, and affordable compiler written by Anders Hejlsberg. Though later than Apple’s release, Turbo Pascal became widely popular in the PC market.
First Object Pascal Compiler:
- Apple developed the first Object Pascal compiler in collaboration with Niklaus Wirth for the Lisa (1983) and Macintosh (1984). This extension added object-oriented programming (OOP) features to Pascal.
- Borland introduced OOP features in Turbo Pascal 5.5 (1989) and later formalized Object Pascal in Delphi (1995), significantly later than Apple’s implementation.

Motivations and Key Actors:

Apple:

Motivations:
- Needed a structured, high-level language for system and application development on the Lisa and Macintosh.
- Object Pascal aimed to leverage OOP for GUI-driven software, aligning with the Lisa/Mac’s innovative user interface.
Key Actors:
- Niklaus Wirth: Collaborated with Apple to adapt Pascal into Object Pascal.
- Larry Tesler: Led the Lisa application team, advocating for OOP.
- Wayne Wesolowski: Managed the Lisa Pascal compiler project.

Borland:

Motivations:
- Targeted the growing PC market with an affordable, efficient compiler (Turbo Pascal).
- Later expanded into OOP to compete with languages like C++ and support modern software development.
Key Actors:
- Anders Hejlsberg: Created Turbo Pascal and later drove Object Pascal in Delphi.
- Philippe Kahn: Borland’s CEO, who prioritized speed and accessibility for developers.

Conclusion:

First Pascal Compiler: Apple (1979, via licensed UCSD Pascal).
First Object Pascal Compiler: Apple (1983, Lisa/Macintosh).
Borland’s contributions (Turbo Pascal, 1983; Object Pascal, 1989+) were pivotal in popularizing Pascal but followed Apple’s earlier work.

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