Microsoft developer ported vector database coded in SAP’s ABAP to the ZX Spectrum

The mighty Z80 processor ran the code at astounding speed, proving retro-tech got a lot of things right

A Microsoft senior software engineer named Alice Vinogradova has ported a database she wrote in SAP’s ABAP language to the venerable Z80 processor that powered the Sinclair ZX Spectrum – and marveled at the results.

Vinogradova’s named her database ZVDB-Z80 and describes it as “a Vector Database developed entirely in ABAP, designed to offer an independent solution without relying on external vector databases.”

ABAP (born 1983) and Z80 (born 1976) are practically contemporaries

ABAP, aka Advanced Business Application Programming, is the programming language ERP behemoth SAP created to write apps for its platform.

Naturally, the code is on GitHub, where the engineer explained that “Last month, I was cleaning up old code and rediscovered ZVDB.”

When Vinogradova reconsidered ZVDB, she “had a realization that made me smile.”

“ABAP (born 1983) and ...