John Paul Morrison

John Paul Morrison (born John Paul Rodker in 1937) is a British-born Canadian computer programmer, and the inventor of flow-based programming (FBP). He is the author of the book "Flow-Based Programming: A New Approach to Application Development"J. Paul Morrison, "Flow-Based Programming: A New Approach to Application Development," van Nostrand Reinhold, 1994, ISBN 0-442-01771-5] , which Ed Yourdon has included in his list of "Cool Books". [http://www.yourdon.com/personal/books/gentech/index.html Ed Yourdon's list of Cool Books]

Morrison is the son of the writer, translator and editor, John Rodker and Barbara McKenzie-Smith, an artist. [cite web|author=Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center|title=Biographical Sketch|url=http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/research/fa/rodker.bio.html|work=John Rodker, 1894-1955|accessdate=2007-05-15|quote="Rodker's previous marriages to the writer Mary Butts and the painter Barbara Stanger McKenzie-Smith had ended in divorce ... John Rodker was survived by Marianne, two daughters, Joan Rodker and Camilla Bagg, and a son, J. Paul Morrison."] Born John Paul Rodker, his name was changed by deed poll when his mother remarried. He was educated at The Dragon School, Eton College (he was a King's Scholar, specializing in Classics), and King's College, Cambridge - M.A. in Anthropology and Archaeology, specializing in social anthropology. [http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/nonresidents/directory/fulllist.php?fm=0&fl=0&qfn=&sfn%5B0%5D=6&sfn%5B1%5D=2&sfn%5B2%5D=1 -- Directory of Non-Resident Kingsmen]

He joined IBM UK in January 1959, as an EDPM (Electronic Data Processing Machines) Representative, and retired (from IBM Canada) in 1992. The first computer he programmed was the IBM 650. He also wired plug-boards. During his career with IBM, he worked on compilers, data bases, text processing, and applications in a number of different areas, especially in the field of banking. [http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/174/ibmsj1704I.pdf IBM Systems Journal, Authors' Biographies - Vol. 17, No. 4, 1978]

In 1978, IBM published an article describing many of the concepts of what is now called flow-based programming, under the name "Data Stream Linkage Mechanism". [J. Paul Morrison, "Data Stream Linkage Mechanism," IBM Systems Journal Vol. 17, No. 4, 1978] A few years later, he started working with the distinguished IBM architect, Wayne Stevens, to refine and promote these concepts, up until Stevens' death in 1993. IBM Canada developed a related product, called "Data Flow Development Manager", which Stevens described in his book "Software Design - Concepts and Methods". [W.P. Stevens, "Software Design - Concepts and Methods", Practical Software Engineering Series, Ed. Allen Macro, Prentice Hall, 1990, ISBN 0-13-820242-7] DFDM was marketed in Japan under the name "Data Flow Programming Manager". [データ・フロー・プログラミング管理IBM, N: GH18-0399-00, Dec. 1989]

Paul Morrison now works as a contractor and consultant, and currently lives in historic Unionville, Ontario.

References

External links

* [http://www.jpaulmorrison.com/index.shtml Paul Morrison]