Punchcard Programs

Punchcard programs use physical cards with punched holes to record and process data or instructions. Each card represents a set of instructions, and the pattern of holes conveys information. Early computers would read these punchcards to perform tasks, similar to inputting data or commands. This method was common in the mid-20th century before digital storage became widespread. Punchcard programming was a reliable way to input and store programs, especially for batch processing, but it was eventually replaced by more efficient electronic data storage and programming methods.