MARK IV (software)
- Snippet from Wikipedia: Mark IV (software)
Mark IV is a fourth-generation programming language that was created by Informatics, Inc. in the 1960s. It automated the reading of input files and conversion of the data inside to produce one or more reports and updated output files. At the time, this program was called a file management system, though it was not what today is understood by that term (a file manager); rather, it was what today would be known as a report generator.
It was used for roles similar to the COBOL programming language or PL/1, but was far easier to use and the instructions normally consisted of a single piece of paper that was converted to a few punch cards. Customers lauded the product for its time savings, often able to generate one-off reports in a matter of days when weeks or months would be needed with traditional tools.
It is historically important as one of the first examples of commercial software that was sold by an independent vendor. It was also the first software product to break $10 million in cumulative sales, and the first to break $100 million.