Programming for the inexperienced users: machine independence and free-format input

Two programming techniques which can make the use of computers less troublesome to inexperienced users are described. The first has the object of making programs readily transferable from one machine to another, thereby facilitating transfer of programs between individuals. The second consists of a FORTRAN subroutine, described in detail, which allows numbers to be read by a program without being confined to specific columns on a punched card, thereby greatly simplifying data preparation.