It Starts With A Hello

A Look at the familiar Hello World Program.

It’s just a dozen or so characters. And not even visually stunning. Yet the “Hello, World!” message flashing across the screen carries a lot of meaning; it sets alight hearts with jubilation, triumph, relief and excitement in equal measure. “This works!”, we shout or “This rocks!” or both at the same time. A new world has opened up before us; the keyboard beckons. We can’t wait to start the next phase.

But where and when did the “Hello, world” tradition start?

Brian Kernighan’s 1972 A Tutorial Introduction to the Language B had a Hello-World program but it was meant to illustrate extern variables.The “true” form of the program first appeared in The C Programming Language (1978) by Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie where it served as a way to check if the system was working and to act as a simple demonstration of the language.

The timing of its appearance was perfect.

Before the 70s, computers were huge, chunky machines that were only affordable and attractive to big organizations. In fact, programming in the 60s involved preparing a stack of punched cards and submitting them to be processed at computer centers. It was difficult to make the general populace believe computers to be anything more than expensive machines that could do some jobs effectively.

So, under those circumstances, most of the tutorials for programming languages of the time focused on presenting the usefulness of computers. For example, the 1957 description of FORTRAN begins with a program that solves for roots of an equation. The first program in the 1964 BASIC manual was a highly useful program that solved simultaneous equations. They got straight to the point. There was no time for chit-chat.

But, as microprocessors began appearing in the 70s, commercial personal computers were starting to catch on. And by the 80s, it was possible for a single person to own computers. This meant a lot of people got exposed to computers and what was once a realm of only hobbyists, technicians or scientists turned into something anyone with an inkling of interest could get into.

A lot of those new programmers turned to The C Programming Language where the Hello-world program was waiting for them. As Algorithmist and Researcher John Mount writes: “hello world” became “popular once computer scientists no longer felt that society needed to be persuaded of the ultimate utility of computer systems.”

Thus, the wording itself is significant. It’s as if Programming, as a field, was declaring its emergence as a general, viable profession to the world. It’s also representative of the delighted “hello!” of many a wide-eyed, curious programmers who had a spark ignited in them upon seeing the “hello, world” message come up on their screens.

In an Interview with Forbes India, Kernighan when asked where the phrase actually came from, replied that his memory had dimmed and all he could remember was a cartoon with a chick and an egg and the chick was saying, “Hello, world”. So, like some viral meme in this age of the internet, the string was something random that the creator had no idea would be this popular. In fact, in the same interview, he said that they didn’t even believe Unix and C would become so big!

Still, the Hello-world program and its many variants have become widespread, so much so that they are now a tradition, a rite of passage.

It is truly amazing to think that a majority of the programmers today, including the geniuses (the wizards), began by printing a simple message on the screen. Indeed, it is a great reminder of the fact that it’s okay to be a beginner and not know much. Because everyone was once a beginner.

However, its true significance is at an individual and personal level. It marks the start of a journey full of possibilities and new experiences, akin to a friendship or a relationship that might last a lifetime — an infatuation, a love affair! There are gonna be many trials and tribulations, misunderstandings, bouts of rage and frustration. And there are gonna be moments of happiness, triumph and sheer ecstasy. It might work out. It might not. Our lives and thoughts may change in ways we didn’t think possible. Or they might remain the same.

Yet, all of that — starts with a hello.

Zerone is an undergrad publication at I.O.E, Pulchowk focusing on People (their creative side, their thoughts, their lives) and Technology (the new, the old, everything).

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