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Authored by: Ian Al on Sunday, May 20 2012 @ 03:10 AM EDT |
Please make allowances; I haven't programmed in BASIC or machine code for
years.
10 VariableA=4
20 VariableB=6
30 VariableC=VariableA + VariableB
40 IF VariableC > 5
50 THEN GOSUB (FunctionA)
I know the syntax is all over the place, but I have a simple question. Is BASIC
a virtual processor? Our first thought is too rude and fails Groklaw comment
rules, but is that because the instructions have symbolic references instead of
numeric values?
BASIC interpreters convert the symbolic references to tags which are commonly
fixed at two bytes in length IIRC. The algorithms that implement the functions
are found by looking them up in an index or offset table. For that reason, one
can view the BASIC interpreter run-time as having a pre-processing step that
converts the symbolic references to functions, into sixteen bit numeric values.
If you study each line with your microprocessor hat on, lines 10 and 20 are
loading literals into registers, line 30 is the addition of two registers and
lines 40 and 50 are a conditional jump, although I believe most microprocessor
conditional jumps are based on a greater than '0' test.
The conversion of symbolic references to 16 bit numeric values is carried out
within the BASIC run-time environment at run-time. Does it infringe on Patent
'104?
---
Regards
Ian Al
Software Patents: It's the disclosed functions in the patent, stupid![ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: JamesK on Sunday, May 20 2012 @ 01:11 PM EDT |
Internet Society announces World IPv6 Launch day for
June 6
IPv6 is coming and many web sites and carriers are already
supporting it. For example, Google and openSUSE, among many others currently
support it. I have been running IPv6 on my home network for over 2 years and am
seeing more & more IPv6 ready sites.
--- The following program
contains immature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: Gringo_ on Sunday, May 20 2012 @ 01:28 PM EDT |
Quick - sue the geologists! That will stop the carnage. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, May 21 2012 @ 12:39 AM EDT |
MIT yesterday sued two TV makers for refusing to pay licensing fees
on digital-television patents it was granted in the 1990s.
In lawsuits
against Funai - which makes Philips, Magnavox, Sylvania, Emerson, Funai, and
Symphonic products - and Vizio - MIT says it held four patents at the heart of
American digital television and that it's owed licensing fees and penalties
because the two companies refused to buy licenses for the technologies, unlike
other makers of TVs and Blu-ray players.
Adam Gaffin, Universal Hub[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, May 21 2012 @ 10:28 AM EDT |
Here.
As they say, read
the whole thing...[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: JamesK on Monday, May 21 2012 @ 12:44 PM EDT |
A controversial
new policy has been rolled out on the streets of London that involves capturing
the mobile phone data of anyone held for questioning by police, even if the
suspect isn't charged with a crime, according a BBC report. --- The
following program contains immature subject matter. Viewer discretion is
advised. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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