I think I still don't agree: You say Connectix created new APIs, but I would argue that the function names were not part of either the BIOS API or ABI. The BIOS function names are just like the parameter names in Java method signatures: you can make them whatever you want and it has no effect on compatibility, so it shouldn't be considered "part of the API" at all.

Anyway, the name of the function is not part of the "API" that a compiled Sony PlayStation game uses to invoke that function. The name of the function might as well be "function number 10" if it happens to be in slot 10 of the table. The compiled games identify the function they want to call by its index in the table.

Although it turns out that Connectix somehow had access to at least some of the original function names (possibly from debug info which was left in one of the games? or in the Sony BIOS itself? its not clear from the Connectix brief).

(Oracle would probably say "See? A number can be a name!")

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• aha - Authored by: xtifr on Wednesday, May 30 2012 @ 08:17 PM EDT
  • aha - Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, May 30 2012 @ 08:45 PM EDT
    • ...reminds me of the time - Authored by: Anonomous on Thursday, May 31 2012 @ 12:33 AM EDT