Creative Computing Benchmark: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Type of computer benchmark}}

The '''Creative Computing Benchmark''', also called '''Ahl's Simple Benchmark''', is a [[Benchmark (computing)|computer benchmark]] that was used to compare the performance of the [[BASIC]] programming language on various machines. It was first introduced in the November 1983 issue of ''[[Creative Computing (magazine)|Creative Computing]]'' magazine with the measures from a number of [[8-bit|8-bit computers]] that were popular at the time. Over a period of a few months, the list was greatly expanded to include practically every contemporary machine, topped by the [[Cray-1]] supercomputer, which ran it in 0.01 seconds.{{efn|Cray did not produce a BASIC for the Cray-1, so it is not clear in what language this version was written.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/cray/COS/T-0103C-CRAY_1_Computer_System-Operating_System_COS_Workbook-Training-September_1981.OCR.pdf |title=CRAY-1 Computer Operating System Handbook |date=September 1981 |publisher=Cray Computer}}</ref>}}

The Creative Computing Benchmark was one of three common benchmarks of the era. Its primary competition in the early 1980s in the United States was the [[Byte Sieve]], of September 1981, while the earlier [[Rugg/Feldman benchmarks]] of June 1977 were not as well known in the United States, but were widely used in the United Kingdom.

== History ==

[[File:Creative_Computing_Benchmark_original_result_set.png|thumb|right|Original result set from November 1983 issue of Creative Computing]]

The benchmark first appeared in the November 1983 issue of ''Creative Computing'' under the title "Benchmark Comparison Test".{{sfn|Ahl|1983|p=259}} In the article, author [[David H. Ahl]] was careful to state that it tested only a few aspects of the BASIC language, mostly its looping performance. He stated:

{{cquote|...&nbsp;the benchmark program presented here is not representative of the way computers are actually used; it measures only a few aspects of performance, and no one should buy a computer based solely on the results of these measures. Yet, the results provide some interesting comparative data.{{sfn|Ahl|1983|p=259}}}}

The initial results were provided for common machines of the era, including the [[Apple II]], [[Commodore 64]] and the recently- released [[IBM Personal Computer]]. Most of these machines ran some variation of the stock [[Microsoft BASIC]] and thus provided similar times on the order of two minutes, while the [[16-bit]] PC was near the top of the list at only 24 seconds. the fastest machine in this initial suite was the [[Olivetti M20]] at 13 seconds, and the slowest was [[Atari BASIC]] on the [[Atari 8-bit family|Atari 800computers]] at 6 minutes 58 seconds.{{sfn|Ahl|1983|p=260}}

In the months following its publication, the magazine was inundated with results for other platforms. It became a regular feature for a time, placed prominently near the front of the magazine with an ever-growing list of results. By March the fastest machine on the list was the Cray-1 at 0.01 seconds, and the slowest was the [[TI SR-50]] [[programmable calculator]] at 12.7 days.{{sfn|Ahl|1984|p=7}}

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==Code==

This is the original version from the November 1983 edition:{{sfn|Ahl|1983|p=259}}

{{sxhl|2=basic|1=<nowiki/>

1 ' Ahl's simple benchmark test

2 ' In Lines 30 and 40, some computers

3 ' may require RND(1) for correct results

10 PRINT "Accuracy Random"

20 FOR N=1 TO 100:A=N

30 FOR I=1 TO 10:A=SQR(A):R=R+RND(0):NEXT I

40 FOR I=1 TO 10:A=A^2:R=R+RND(0):NEXT I

50 S=S+A:NEXT N

60 PRINT ABS(1010-S/5);ABS(1000-R)

}}

The following is from later versions of the benchmark code, which reduced the number of compound statements on a line:{{sfn|Ahl|1984|p=7}}{{efn|Likely to reduce the line length below 40 characters for all lines. In the original version, line 30 is 43 characters long.}}

{{sxhl|2=basic|1=<nowiki/>

10 ' Ahl's Simple Benchmark

20 FOR N=1 TO 100: A=N

30 FOR I=1 TO 10

40 A=SQR(A): R=R+RND(1)

50 NEXT I

60 FOR I=1 TO 10

70 A=A^2: R=R+RND(1)

80 NEXT I

90 S=S+A: NEXT N

100 PRINT ABS(1010-S/5)

110 PRINT ABS(1000-R)

}}

==Notes==

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==References==

===Citations===

{{Reflistreflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===