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Phrase origin: Why do we "call" functions?

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183 points todsacerdoti | 1 comments | 09 Jul 25 04:04 UTC | HN request time: 0.199s | source
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skaushik92 ◴[09 Jul 25 04:37 UTC] No.44506391[source]▶
> ... but those of any complexity presumably ought to be in a library — that is, a set of magnetic tapes in which previously coded problems of permanent value are stored.

Oddly, I never thought of the term library as originating from a physical labelled and organized shelf of tapes, until now.

replies(2): >>44506527 #>>44509605 #
1. leoc ◴[09 Jul 25 13:08 UTC] No.44509605[source]▶
At https://youtu.be/DjhRRj6WYcs?t=338 you can see EDSAC's original linker, Margaret Hartrey, taking a library subroutine from the drawer of paper tapes. (But you should really watch the whole thing, of course!)