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Before (and parallel to) computer and/or tabulating machine punch cards there have been other systems for data processing. For example Edge-Notched Cards. These systems where used for manual indexing, sorting and searching, and where not ment for automated processing (*1). While references to the Edge-Notched Card system are rather easy to come by, as they may have had large usage in the US, I wasn't able to find any about other systems - at least not in English language sources.

The most simple way might beto describe them in short:

• First ofc, the Edge Notch Cards - German name Kerblochkarte, literaly Kerf Hole Card (Kerf as Middle English for Notch) or Randlochkarte, literaly Edge Hole Card.

Here each card has a number of holes along one or more edges. For example 26 on the one edge to encode the 26 basic latin letters along an employee record, so the first letter of the name could be endoded and searched (*2). Selections would be made by pirceing knitting needle like tools thru a stack encoding the search term and shaking it to have all matching cards fall out. Extream handy, isn't it :))

• Next is the Schlitzlochkarte - literaly Slit (Slot) Hole Card

• The third system are Sichtlochkarten - literaly Sight (View) Hole Cards

Let's say there are cards prepared for differnt subjects like Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics, and so on, as well as book cathegories. To find a Novel about a Mathematician practicing Fortune Telling one only needs to pick these three cards, stack them and hold the stack against some light. Whereever there are a hole for the same book on all three cards the light will shine thru, and the book(s) marked are the ones we want to have a look at (*4).

Funny sideshow: These systems where not only used way into the 1970s, but today it's mainly people from the humanities like librarians et.al who remember them, while engineers and CS people have forgoten them - or even never heared about.

*1 - Automated in the sense of tabulating machiens or computers.

*2 - This is just a simple first explanation, there are various strategies to mkae hash like encodings with multiple notches so even for a large company only a few hits would be returned, making it easy to weed out false hits - much like selecting the right hit from the first page of a Google search :)) Here's a very nice example about what could be done.

*5 - I'm not looking for applications of (more or less) standart punchcard systems from Jacquard to hotel key cards, but such with a fundamental different aproach than binary.

Before (and parallel to) computer and/or tabulating machine punch cards there have been other systems for data processing. For example Edge-Notched Cards. These systems where used for manual indexing, sorting and searching, and where not meant for automated processing (*1). While references to the Edge-Notched Card system are rather easy to come by, as they may have had large usage in the US, I wasn't able to find any about other systems - at least not in English language sources.

The most simple way might be to describe them in short:

• First ofc, the Edge Notch Cards - German name Kerblochkarte, literal Kerf Hole Card (Kerf as Middle English for Notch) or Randlochkarte, literal Edge Hole Card.

Here each card has a number of holes along one or more edges. For example 26 on the one edge to encode the 26 basic latin letters along an employee record, so the first letter of the name could be encoded and searched (*2). Selections would be made by piercing knitting needle like tools thru a stack encoding the search term and shaking it to have all matching cards fall out. Extrem handy, isn't it :))

• Next is the Schlitzlochkarte - literal Slit (Slot) Hole Card

• The third system are Sichtlochkarten - literal Sight (View) Hole Cards

Let's say there are cards prepared for differnt subjects like Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics, and so on, as well as book cathegories. To find a Novel about a Mathematician practising Fortune Telling one only needs to pick these three cards, stack them and hold the stack against some light. Whereever there are a hole for the same book on all three cards the light will shine thru, and the book(s) marked are the ones we want to have a look at (*4).

Funny sideshow: These systems where not only used way into the 1970s, but today it's mainly people from the humanities like librarians et.al who remember them, while engineers and CS people have forgotten them - or even never heared about.

*1 - Automated in the sense of tabulating machines or computers.

*2 - This is just a simple first explanation, there are various strategies to make hash like encoding with multiple notches so even for a large company only a few hits would be returned, making it easy to weed out false hits - much like selecting the right hit from the first page of a Google search :)) Here's a very nice example about what could be done.

*5 - I'm not looking for applications of (more or less) standard punchcard systems from Jacquard to hotel key cards, but such with a fundamental different approach than binary.

For a little side project I do need English names for at least two other systems.

• The third System are Sichtlochkarten - literaly Sight (View) Hole Cards

For a little side project I do need English names for the two other systems. (Second and Third of the list)

• The third system are Sichtlochkarten - literaly Sight (View) Hole Cards

• First ofc, the Edge Notch Cards - German name Kerblochkarte, literaly _Kerf Hole Card (Kerf as Middle English for Notch) or Randlochkarte, literaly Edge Hole Card.

• First ofc, the Edge Notch Cards - German name Kerblochkarte, literaly Kerf Hole Card (Kerf as Middle English for Notch) or Randlochkarte, literaly Edge Hole Card.