Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 27, 2026

SAKO (programming language)

SAKO is a Polish language-based programming language written between 1959 and 1960 by a team from the ZAM division of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Originally developed for the XYZ and ZAM-2 computers, it was also ported over to the ZAM-21, ZAM-41 and the Mińsk-22.

Last revised
May 27, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
404 w
Citations
6
Source
SAKO
ParadigmMulti-paradigm: structured, imperative (procedural), array
Designed byLeon Łukaszewicz, Antoni Mazurkiewicz, Jan Borowiec, Jowita Koncewicz, Maria Łącka, Stefan Sawicki, Jerzy Swianiewicz, Piotr Szorc, Alfred Szurman and Andrzej Wiśniewski1
DeveloperPolish Academy of Sciences
First appeared1960 (1960)
Influenced by
Fortran2

SAKO (PL: System Automatycznego KOdowania3 - EN: An Automatic Coding System4) is a Polish language-based programming language written between 1959 and 1960 by a team from the ZAM division of the Polish Academy of Sciences.1 Originally developed for the XYZ and ZAM-2 computers, it was also ported over to the ZAM-21, ZAM-41 and the Mińsk-22.5

General features of the SAKO language:

  • commands similar to sentences used in natural language
  • shortening the time required to learn the principles of programming
  • ease of use, which reduced coding time
  • transparent program code, lowering the probability of making a mistake

It had a static address allocation. It was possible to insert code in SAS macro assembler. The compilation proceeded in two stages:

  1. From SAKO to simplified SAS macro assembler (SAS-W).
  2. From SAS-W to machine language.

The most characteristic feature of SAKO are Polish commands, e.g. CZYTAJ, SKOCZ DO. It was designed primarily for programming numerical calculations.

"Hello, world" example

TEKST:  
HELLO, WORLD
LINIA
STOP NASTEPNY
KONIEC
References

References

Citations

Citations

  1. Łukaszewicz 1966, p. 6
  2. Report of a Visit to Discuss Common Programming Languages in Czechoslowakia and Poland, 1963, John A. Gosden (Editor), Roger E. Gay, John L. Jones, Jack N. Merner, Christopher J. Shaw
  3. Mazurkiewicz, Antoni (1989). "Jak się programowało XYZ". Informatyka. 8-12/1989: 10–12.
  4. Łukaszewicz, Leon (1961-01-01). "SAKO—An automatic coding system". Annual Review in Automatic Programming. 2: 161–176. doi:10.1016/S0066-4138(61)80008-6. ISSN 0066-4138.
  5. Szmelter, Jan; Zub, Henryk. Programowanie SAKO na Mińsk-22 (in Polish). Main Library of the Military University of Technology.