Regarding the printf (pre)history see my old comment:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=3964475" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=3964475</a><p>printf is based on the idea implemented as early as 1956, next year it will be 60 years since!<p><pre><code>   1956: Fortran I:
            PRINT 1, X
         1  FORMAT (F10.2)
</code></pre>
Fortran was invented by John Backus and there was already a finished compiler in 1956.<p>I&#x2F;O in the first Fortran, I believe including the FN.M syntax, was implemented by Roy Nutt, also one obvious genius:<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cap-lore.com&#x2F;stories&#x2F;Assembler.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cap-lore.com&#x2F;stories&#x2F;Assembler.html</a><p>&quot;There were a few pages of description of a new assembler format for the IBM 704 that differed considerably from the NYAP that we were using.&quot; (That) &quot;704 assembler, originally called SAP, was written in its own language by Roy Nutt.&quot;