Management information systems: A modular approach to business EDP problem solving

MODULARITY—a requirement in computer hardware for several years—has now become a property of software.

Early electronic computers were designed for very specific applications. They provided little or no opportunity for use on other operations without radical modifications in structure. As needs grew larger and application possibilities became more numerous, the concept of modularity evolved. Economic necessity, as well as common sense, dictated against building a completely new machine to do a partially new job. Many already well-designed parts of the computer could be lifted intact for inclusion in the new operation. Ultimately, this logic led to the general purpose digital computer.