home bbs files messages ]

Forums before death by AOL, social media and spammers... "We can't have nice things"

   comp.arch      Apparently more than just beeps & boops      131,241 messages   

[   << oldest   |   < older   |   list   |   newer >   |   newest >>   ]

   Message 131,074 of 131,241   
   George Neuner to user5857@newsgrouper.org.invalid   
   Re: PDP-11 history, was Variable-length    
   14 Feb 26 10:29:35   
   
   From: gneuner2@comcast.net   
      
   On Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:11:09 GMT, MitchAlsup   
    wrote:   
      
      
   >40 years ago, Duff's device was considered a reasonable way to improve   
   >performance. It is now considered a means to take over applications   
   >and machines (i.e., a virus).   
      
   I don't know that it ever really improved performance, but it still is   
   useful.  I use the switch() form for backing out of situations having   
   complicated setup where processing isn't possible unless all the setup   
   steps succeed.   
      
   I keep track of how many setup steps successfully complete, and then,   
   whatever the exit situation, I jump into a Duff switch that tears it   
   all down in reverse order of the setup.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)   

[   << oldest   |   < older   |   list   |   newer >   |   newest >>   ]


(c) 1994,  bbs@darkrealms.ca