New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)
Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.
FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).
Books: The New Hacker\'s Dictionary version 4.2.2
V >> Various editors >> The New Hacker\'s Dictionary version 4.2.2
Node:C, Next:[2388]C Programmer's Disease, Previous:[2389]Bzzzt!
Wrong., Up:[2390]= C =
C n.
1. The third letter of the English alphabet. 2. ASCII 1000011. 3. The
name of a programming language designed by Dennis Ritchie during the
early 1970s and immediately used to reimplement [2391]Unix; so called
because many features derived from an earlier compiler named `B' in
commemoration of its parent, BCPL. (BCPL was in turn descended from an
earlier Algol-derived language, CPL.) Before Bjarne Stroustrup settled
the question by designing [2392]C++, there was a humorous debate over
whether C's successor should be named `D' or `P'. C became immensely
popular outside Bell Labs after about 1980 and is now the dominant
language in systems and microcomputer applications programming. See
also [2393]languages of choice, [2394]indent style.
C is often described, with a mixture of fondness and disdain varying
according to the speaker, as "a language that combines all the
elegance and power of assembly language with all the readability and
maintainability of assembly language".
_________________________________________________________________
Node:C Programmer's Disease, Next:[2395]C&C, Previous:[2396]C,
Up:[2397]= C =
C Programmer's Disease n.
The tendency of the undisciplined C programmer to set arbitrary but
supposedly generous static limits on table sizes (defined, if you're
lucky, by constants in header files) rather than taking the trouble to
do proper dynamic storage allocation. If an application user later
needs to put 68 elements into a table of size 50, the afflicted
programmer reasons that he or she can easily reset the table size to
68 (or even as much as 70, to allow for future expansion) and
recompile. This gives the programmer the comfortable feeling of having
made the effort to satisfy the user's (unreasonable) demands, and
often affords the user multiple opportunities to explore the marvelous
consequences of [2398]fandango on core. In severe cases of the
disease, the programmer cannot comprehend why each fix of this kind
seems only to further disgruntle the user.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:C&C, Next:[2399]C++, Previous:[2400]C Programmer's Disease,
Up:[2401]= C =
C&C //
[common, esp. on news.admin.net-abuse.email] Contraction of "Coffee &
Cats". This frequently occurs as a warning label on USENET posts that
are likely to cause you to [2402]snarf coffee onto your keyboard and
startle the cat off your lap.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:C++, Next:[2403]calculator, Previous:[2404]C&C, Up:[2405]= C =
C++ /C'-pluhs-pluhs/ n.
Designed by Bjarne Stroustrup of AT&T Bell Labs as a successor to
[2406]C. Now one of the [2407]languages of choice, although many
hackers still grumble that it is the successor to either Algol 68 or
[2408]Ada (depending on generation), and a prime example of
[2409]second-system effect. Almost anything that can be done in any
language can be done in C++, but it requires a [2410]language lawyer
to know what is and what is not legal-- the design is almost too large
to hold in even hackers' heads. Much of the [2411]cruft results from
C++'s attempt to be backward compatible with C. Stroustrup himself has
said in his retrospective book "The Design and Evolution of C++" (p.
207), "Within C++, there is a much smaller and cleaner language
struggling to get out." [Many hackers would now add "Yes, and it's
called [2412]Java" --ESR]
_________________________________________________________________
Node:calculator, Next:[2413]Camel Book, Previous:[2414]C++, Up:[2415]=
C =
calculator [Cambridge] n.
Syn. for [2416]bitty box.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Camel Book, Next:[2417]can, Previous:[2418]calculator, Up:[2419]=
C =
Camel Book n.
Universally recognized nickname for the book "Programming Perl", by
Larry Wall and Randal L. Schwartz, O'Reilly and Associates 1991, ISBN
0-937175-64-1 (second edition 1996, ISBN 1-56592-149-6). The
definitive reference on [2420]Perl.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:can, Next:[2421]can't happen, Previous:[2422]Camel Book,
Up:[2423]= C =
can vt.
To abort a job on a time-sharing system. Used esp. when the person
doing the deed is an operator, as in "canned from the [2424]console".
Frequently used in an imperative sense, as in "Can that print job, the
LPT just popped a sprocket!" Synonymous with [2425]gun. It is said
that the ASCII character with mnemonic CAN (0011000) was used as a
kill-job character on some early OSes. Alternatively, this term may
derive from mainstream slang `canned' for being laid off or fired.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:can't happen, Next:[2426]cancelbot, Previous:[2427]can,
Up:[2428]= C =
can't happen
The traditional program comment for code executed under a condition
that should never be true, for example a file size computed as
negative. Often, such a condition being true indicates data corruption
or a faulty algorithm; it is almost always handled by emitting a fatal
error message and terminating or crashing, since there is little else
that can be done. Some case variant of "can't happen" is also often
the text emitted if the `impossible' error actually happens! Although
"can't happen" events are genuinely infrequent in production code,
programmers wise enough to check for them habitually are often
surprised at how frequently they are triggered during development and
how many headaches checking for them turns out to head off. See also
[2429]firewall code (sense 2).
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cancelbot, Next:[2430]Cancelmoose[tm], Previous:[2431]can't
happen, Up:[2432]= C =
cancelbot /kan'sel-bot/
[Usenet: compound, cancel + robot] 1. Mythically, a
[2433]robocanceller 2. In reality, most cancelbots are manually
operated by being fed lists of spam message IDs.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Cancelmoose[tm], Next:[2434]candygrammar,
Previous:[2435]cancelbot, Up:[2436]= C =
Cancelmoose[tm] /kan'sel-moos/
[Usenet] The archetype and model of all good [2437]spam-fighters. Once
upon a time, the 'Moose would send out spam-cancels and then post
notice anonymously to news.admin.policy, news.admin.misc, and
alt.current-events.net-abuse. The 'Moose stepped to the fore on its
own initiative, at a time (mid-1994) when spam-cancels were irregular
and disorganized, and behaved altogether admirably - fair,
even-handed, and quick to respond to comments and criticism, all
without self-aggrandizement or martyrdom. Cancelmoose[tm] quickly
gained near-unanimous support from the readership of all three
above-mentioned groups.
Nobody knows who Cancelmoose[tm] really is, and there aren't even any
good rumors. However, the 'Moose now has an e-mail address
([2438]moose@cm.org) and a web site ([2439]http://www.cm.org.)
By early 1995, others had stepped into the spam-cancel business, and
appeared to be comporting themselves well, after the 'Moose's manner.
The 'Moose has now gotten out of the business, and is more interested
in ending spam (and cancels) entirely.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:candygrammar, Next:[2440]canonical,
Previous:[2441]Cancelmoose[tm], Up:[2442]= C =
candygrammar n.
A programming-language grammar that is mostly [2443]syntactic sugar;
the term is also a play on `candygram'. [2444]COBOL, Apple's Hypertalk
language, and a lot of the so-called `4GL' database languages share
this property. The usual intent of such designs is that they be as
English-like as possible, on the theory that they will then be easier
for unskilled people to program. This intention comes to grief on the
reality that syntax isn't what makes programming hard; it's the mental
effort and organization required to specify an algorithm precisely
that costs. Thus the invariable result is that `candygrammar'
languages are just as difficult to program in as terser ones, and far
more painful for the experienced hacker.
[The overtones from the old Chevy Chase skit on Saturday Night Live
should not be overlooked. This was a "Jaws" parody. Someone lurking
outside an apartment door tries all kinds of bogus ways to get the
occupant to open up, while ominous music plays in the background. The
last attempt is a half-hearted "Candygram!" When the door is opened, a
shark bursts in and chomps the poor occupant. [There is a similar gag
in "Blazing Saddles" --ESR] There is a moral here for those attracted
to candygrammars. Note that, in many circles, pretty much the same
ones who remember Monty Python sketches, all it takes is the word
"Candygram!", suitably timed, to get people rolling on the floor. --
GLS]
_________________________________________________________________
Node:canonical, Next:[2445]card walloper, Previous:[2446]candygrammar,
Up:[2447]= C =
canonical adj.
[very common; historically, `according to religious law'] The usual or
standard state or manner of something. This word has a somewhat more
technical meaning in mathematics. Two formulas such as 9 + x and x + 9
are said to be equivalent because they mean the same thing, but the
second one is in `canonical form' because it is written in the usual
way, with the highest power of x first. Usually there are fixed rules
you can use to decide whether something is in canonical form. The
jargon meaning, a relaxation of the technical meaning, acquired its
present loading in computer-science culture largely through its
prominence in Alonzo Church's work in computation theory and
mathematical logic (see [2448]Knights of the Lambda Calculus). Compare
[2449]vanilla.
Non-technical academics do not use the adjective `canonical' in any of
the senses defined above with any regularity; they do however use the
nouns `canon' and `canonicity' (not **canonicalness or
**canonicality). The `canon' of a given author is the complete body of
authentic works by that author (this usage is familiar to Sherlock
Holmes fans as well as to literary scholars). `The canon' is the body
of works in a given field (e.g., works of literature, or of art, or of
music) deemed worthwhile for students to study and for scholars to
investigate.
The word `canon' has an interesting history. It derives ultimately
from the Greek `kanon' (akin to the English `cane') referring to a
reed. Reeds were used for measurement, and in Latin and later Greek
the word `canon' meant a rule or a standard. The establishment of a
canon of scriptures within Christianity was meant to define a standard
or a rule for the religion. The above non-techspeak academic usages
stem from this instance of a defined and accepted body of work.
Alongside this usage was the promulgation of `canons' (`rules') for
the government of the Catholic Church. The techspeak usages
("according to religious law") derive from this use of the Latin
`canon'.
Hackers invest this term with a playfulness that makes an ironic
contrast with its historical meaning. A true story: One Bob Sjoberg,
new at the MIT AI Lab, expressed some annoyance at the incessant use
of jargon. Over his loud objections, GLS and RMS made a point of using
as much of it as possible in his presence, and eventually it began to
sink in. Finally, in one conversation, he used the word `canonical' in
jargon-like fashion without thinking. Steele: "Aha! We've finally got
you talking jargon too!" Stallman: "What did he say?" Steele: "Bob
just used `canonical' in the canonical way."
Of course, canonicality depends on context, but it is implicitly
defined as the way hackers normally expect things to be. Thus, a
hacker may claim with a straight face that `according to religious
law' is not the canonical meaning of `canonical'.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:card walloper, Next:[2450]careware, Previous:[2451]canonical,
Up:[2452]= C =
card walloper n.
An EDP programmer who grinds out batch programs that do stupid things
like print people's paychecks. Compare [2453]code grinder. See also
[2454]punched card, [2455]eighty-column mind.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:careware, Next:[2456]cargo cult programming, Previous:[2457]card
walloper, Up:[2458]= C =
careware /keir'weir/ n.
A variety of [2459]shareware for which either the author suggests that
some payment be made to a nominated charity or a levy directed to
charity is included on top of the distribution charge. Syn.
[2460]charityware; compare [2461]crippleware, sense 2.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cargo cult programming, Next:[2462]cascade,
Previous:[2463]careware, Up:[2464]= C =
cargo cult programming n.
A style of (incompetent) programming dominated by ritual inclusion of
code or program structures that serve no real purpose. A cargo cult
programmer will usually explain the extra code as a way of working
around some bug encountered in the past, but usually neither the bug
nor the reason the code apparently avoided the bug was ever fully
understood (compare [2465]shotgun debugging, [2466]voodoo
programming).
The term `cargo cult' is a reference to aboriginal religions that grew
up in the South Pacific after World War II. The practices of these
cults center on building elaborate mockups of airplanes and military
style landing strips in the hope of bringing the return of the
god-like airplanes that brought such marvelous cargo during the war.
Hackish usage probably derives from Richard Feynman's characterization
of certain practices as "cargo cult science" in his book "Surely
You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" (W. W. Norton & Co, New York 1985, ISBN
0-393-01921-7).
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cascade, Next:[2467]case and paste, Previous:[2468]cargo cult
programming, Up:[2469]= C =
cascade n.
1. A huge volume of spurious error-message output produced by a
compiler with poor error recovery. Too frequently, one trivial syntax
error (such as a missing `)' or `}') throws the parser out of synch so
that much of the remaining program text is interpreted as garbaged or
ill-formed. 2. A chain of Usenet followups, each adding some trivial
variation or riposte to the text of the previous one, all of which is
reproduced in the new message; an [2470]include war in which the
object is to create a sort of communal graffito.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:case and paste, Next:[2471]casters-up mode,
Previous:[2472]cascade, Up:[2473]= C =
case and paste n.
[from `cut and paste'] 1. The addition of a new [2474]feature to an
existing system by selecting the code from an existing feature and
pasting it in with minor changes. Common in telephony circles because
most operations in a telephone switch are selected using case
statements. Leads to [2475]software bloat.
In some circles of EMACS users this is called `programming by Meta-W',
because Meta-W is the EMACS command for copying a block of text to a
kill buffer in preparation to pasting it in elsewhere. The term is
condescending, implying that the programmer is acting mindlessly
rather than thinking carefully about what is required to integrate the
code for two similar cases.
At [2476]DEC (now Compaq), this is sometimes called `clone-and-hack'
coding.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:casters-up mode, Next:[2477]casting the runes,
Previous:[2478]case and paste, Up:[2479]= C =
casters-up mode n.
[IBM, prob. fr. slang belly up] Yet another synonym for `broken' or
`down'. Usually connotes a major failure. A system (hardware or
software) which is `down' may be already being restarted before the
failure is noticed, whereas one which is `casters up' is usually a
good excuse to take the rest of the day off (as long as you're not
responsible for fixing it).
_________________________________________________________________
Node:casting the runes, Next:[2480]cat, Previous:[2481]casters-up
mode, Up:[2482]= C =
casting the runes n.
What a [2483]guru does when you ask him or her to run a particular
program and type at it because it never works for anyone else; esp.
used when nobody can ever see what the guru is doing different from
what J. Random Luser does. Compare [2484]incantation, [2485]runes,
[2486]examining the entrails; also see the AI koan about Tom Knight in
"[2487]Some AI Koans" (Appendix A).
A correspondent from England tells us that one of ICL's most talented
systems designers used to be called out occasionally to service
machines which the [2488]field circus had given up on. Since he knew
the design inside out, he could often find faults simply by listening
to a quick outline of the symptoms. He used to play on this by going
to some site where the field circus had just spent the last two weeks
solid trying to find a fault, and spreading a diagram of the system
out on a table top. He'd then shake some chicken bones and cast them
over the diagram, peer at the bones intently for a minute, and then
tell them that a certain module needed replacing. The system would
start working again immediately upon the replacement.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cat, Next:[2489]catatonic, Previous:[2490]casting the runes,
Up:[2491]= C =
cat [from `catenate' via [2492]Unix cat(1)] vt.
1. [techspeak] To spew an entire file to the screen or some other
output sink without pause (syn. [2493]blast). 2. By extension, to dump
large amounts of data at an unprepared target or with no intention of
browsing it carefully. Usage: considered silly. Rare outside Unix
sites. See also [2494]dd, [2495]BLT.
Among Unix fans, cat(1) is considered an excellent example of
user-interface design, because it delivers the file contents without
such verbosity as spacing or headers between the files, and because it
does not require the files to consist of lines of text, but works with
any sort of data.
Among Unix haters, cat(1) is considered the [2496]canonical example of
bad user-interface design, because of its woefully unobvious name. It
is far more often used to [2497]blast a file to standard output than
to concatenate two files. The name cat for the former operation is
just as unintuitive as, say, LISP's [2498]cdr.
Of such oppositions are [2499]holy wars made....
_________________________________________________________________
Node:catatonic, Next:[2500]cathedral, Previous:[2501]cat, Up:[2502]= C
=
catatonic adj.
Describes a condition of suspended animation in which something is so
[2503]wedged or [2504]hung that it makes no response. If you are
typing on a terminal and suddenly the computer doesn't even echo the
letters back to the screen as you type, let alone do what you're
asking it to do, then the computer is suffering from catatonia
(possibly because it has crashed). "There I was in the middle of a
winning game of [2505]nethack and it went catatonic on me! Aaargh!"
Compare [2506]buzz.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cathedral, Next:[2507]cd tilde, Previous:[2508]catatonic,
Up:[2509]= C =
cathedral n.,adj.
[see [2510]bazaar for derivation] The `classical' mode of software
engineering long thought to be necessarily implied by [2511]Brooks's
Law. Features small teams, tight project control, and long release
intervals. This term came into use after analysis of the Linux
experience suggested there might be something wrong (or at least
incomplete) in the classical assumptions.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cd tilde, Next:[2512]CDA, Previous:[2513]cathedral, Up:[2514]= C
=
cd tilde /C-D til-d*/ vi.
To go home. From the Unix C-shell and Korn-shell command cd ~, which
takes one to one's $HOME (cd with no arguments happens to do the same
thing). By extension, may be used with other arguments; thus, over an
electronic chat link, cd ~coffee would mean "I'm going to the coffee
machine."
_________________________________________________________________
Node:CDA, Next:[2515]cdr, Previous:[2516]cd tilde, Up:[2517]= C =
CDA /C-D-A/
The "Communications Decency Act" of 1996, passed on [2518]Black
Thursday as section 502 of a major telecommunications reform bill. The
CDA made it a federal crime in the USA to send a communication which
is "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent, with intent to
annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another person." It also threatened
with imprisonment anyone who "knowingly" makes accessible to minors
any message that "describes, in terms patently offensive as measured
by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or
organs".
While the CDA was sold as a measure to protect minors from the
putative evils of pornography, the repressive political aims of the
bill were laid bare by the Hyde amendment, which intended to outlaw
discussion of abortion on the Internet.
To say that this direct attack on First Amendment free-speech rights
was not well received on the Internet would be putting it mildly. A
firestorm of protest followed, including a February 29th mass
demonstration by thousands of netters who turned their [2519]home
pages black for 48 hours. Several civil-rights groups and
computing/telecommunications companies mounted a constitutional
challenge. The CDA was demolished by a strongly-worded decision handed
down on in 8th-circuit Federal court and subsequently affirmed by the
U.S. Supreme Court on 26 June 1997 (`White Thursday'). See also
[2520]Exon.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cdr, Next:[2521]chad, Previous:[2522]CDA, Up:[2523]= C =
cdr /ku'dr/ or /kuh'dr/ vt.
[from LISP] To skip past the first item from a list of things
(generalized from the LISP operation on binary tree structures, which
returns a list consisting of all but the first element of its
argument). In the form `cdr down', to trace down a list of elements:
"Shall we cdr down the agenda?" Usage: silly. See also [2524]loop
through.
Historical note: The instruction format of the IBM 704 that hosted the
original LISP implementation featured two 15-bit fields called the
`address' and `decrement' parts. The term `cdr' was originally
`Contents of Decrement part of Register'. Similarly, `car' stood for
`Contents of Address part of Register'.
The cdr and car operations have since become bases for formation of
compound metaphors in non-LISP contexts. GLS recalls, for example, a
programming project in which strings were represented as linked lists;
the get-character and skip-character operations were of course called
CHAR and CHDR.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chad, Next:[2525]chad box, Previous:[2526]cdr, Up:[2527]= C =
chad /chad/ n.
1. [common] The perforated edge strips on printer paper, after they
have been separated from the printed portion. Also called
[2528]selvage, [2529]perf, and [2530]ripoff. 2. obs. The confetti-like
paper bits punched out of cards or paper tape; this has also been
called `chaff', `computer confetti', and `keypunch droppings'. It's
reported that this was very old Army slang, and it may now be
mainstream; it has been reported seen (1993) in directions for a
card-based voting machine in California.
Historical note: One correspondent believes `chad' (sense 2) derives
from the Chadless keypunch (named for its inventor), which cut little
u-shaped tabs in the card to make a hole when the tab folded back,
rather than punching out a circle/rectangle; it was clear that if the
Chadless keypunch didn't make them, then the stuff that other
keypunches made had to be `chad'. There is a legend that the word was
originally acronymic, standing for "Card Hole Aggregate Debris", but
this has all the earmarks of a [2531]backronym.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chad box, Next:[2532]chain, Previous:[2533]chad, Up:[2534]= C =
chad box n.
A metal box about the size of a lunchbox (or in some models a large
wastebasket), for collecting the [2535]chad (sense 2) that accumulated
in [2536]Iron Age card punches. You had to open the covers of the card
punch periodically and empty the chad box. The [2537]bit bucket was
notionally the equivalent device in the CPU enclosure, which was
typically across the room in another great gray-and-blue box.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chain, Next:[2538]channel, Previous:[2539]chad box, Up:[2540]= C
=
chain
1. vi. [orig. from BASIC's CHAIN statement] To hand off execution to a
child or successor without going through the [2541]OS command
interpreter that invoked it. The state of the parent program is lost
and there is no returning to it. Though this facility used to be
common on memory-limited micros and is still widely supported for
backward compatibility, the jargon usage is semi-obsolescent; in
particular, most Unix programmers will think of this as an [2542]exec.
Oppose the more modern `subshell'. 2. n. A series of linked data areas
within an operating system or application. `Chain rattling' is the
process of repeatedly running through the linked data areas searching
for one which is of interest to the executing program. The implication
is that there is a very large number of links on the chain.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:channel, Next:[2543]channel hopping, Previous:[2544]chain,
Up:[2545]= C =
channel n.
[IRC] The basic unit of discussion on [2546]IRC. Once one joins a
channel, everything one types is read by others on that channel.
Channels are named with strings that begin with a `#' sign and can
have topic descriptions (which are generally irrelevant to the actual
subject of discussion). Some notable channels are #initgame, #hottub,
callahans, and #report. At times of international crisis, #report has
hundreds of members, some of whom take turns listening to various news
services and typing in summaries of the news, or in some cases, giving
first-hand accounts of the action (e.g., Scud missile attacks in Tel
Aviv during the Gulf War in 1991).
_________________________________________________________________
Node:channel hopping, Next:[2547]channel op, Previous:[2548]channel,
Up:[2549]= C =
channel hopping n.
[common; IRC, GEnie] To rapidly switch channels on [2550]IRC, or a
GEnie chat board, just as a social butterfly might hop from one group
to another at a party. This term may derive from the TV watcher's
idiom, `channel surfing'.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:channel op, Next:[2551]chanop, Previous:[2552]channel hopping,
Up:[2553]= C =
channel op /chan'l op/ n.
[IRC] Someone who is endowed with privileges on a particular [2554]IRC
channel; commonly abbreviated `chanop' or `CHOP' or just `op' (as of
2000 these short forms have almost crowded out the parent usage).
These privileges include the right to [2555]kick users, to change
various status bits, and to make others into CHOPs.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chanop, Next:[2556]char, Previous:[2557]channel op, Up:[2558]= C
=
chanop /chan'-op/ n.
[IRC] See [2559]channel op.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:char, Next:[2560]charityware, Previous:[2561]chanop, Up:[2562]= C
=
char /keir/ or /char/; rarely, /kar/ n.
Shorthand for `character'. Esp. used by C programmers, as `char' is
C's typename for character data.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:charityware, Next:[2563]chase pointers, Previous:[2564]char,
Up:[2565]= C =
Node:chase pointers, Next:[2567]chawmp, Previous:[2568]charityware,
Up:[2569]= C =
chase pointers
1. vi. To go through multiple levels of indirection, as in traversing
a linked list or graph structure. Used esp. by programmers in C, where
explicit pointers are a very common data type. This is techspeak, but
it remains jargon when used of human networks. "I'm chasing pointers.
Bob said you could tell me who to talk to about...." See
[2570]dangling pointer and [2571]snap. 2. [Cambridge] `pointer chase'
or `pointer hunt': The process of going through a [2572]core dump
(sense 1), interactively or on a large piece of paper printed with hex
[2573]runes, following dynamic data-structures. Used only in a
debugging context.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chawmp, Next:[2574]check, Previous:[2575]chase pointers,
Up:[2576]= C =
chawmp n.
[University of Florida] 16 or 18 bits (half of a machine word). This
term was used by FORTH hackers during the late 1970s/early 1980s; it
is said to have been archaic then, and may now be obsolete. It was
coined in revolt against the promiscuous use of `word' for anything
between 16 and 32 bits; `word' has an additional special meaning for
FORTH hacks that made the overloading intolerable. For similar
reasons, /gaw'bl/ (spelled `gawble' or possibly `gawbul') was in use
as a term for 32 or 48 bits (presumably a full machine word, but our
sources are unclear on this). These terms are more easily understood
if one thinks of them as faithful phonetic spellings of `chomp' and
`gobble' pronounced in a Florida or other Southern U.S. dialect. For
general discussion of similar terms, see [2577]nybble.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:check, Next:[2578]cheerfully, Previous:[2579]chawmp, Up:[2580]= C
=
check n.
A hardware-detected error condition, most commonly used to refer to
actual hardware failures rather than software-induced traps. E.g., a
`parity check' is the result of a hardware-detected parity error.
Recorded here because the word often humorously extended to
non-technical problems. For example, the term `child check' has been
used to refer to the problems caused by a small child who is curious
to know what happens when s/he presses all the cute buttons on a
computer's console (of course, this particular problem could have been
prevented with [2581]molly-guards).
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cheerfully, Next:[2582]chemist, Previous:[2583]check, Up:[2584]=
C =
cheerfully adv.
See [2585]happily.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chemist, Next:[2586]Chernobyl chicken, Previous:[2587]cheerfully,
Up:[2588]= C =
chemist n.
[Cambridge] Someone who wastes computer time on [2589]number-crunching
when you'd far rather the machine were doing something more
productive, such as working out anagrams of your name or printing
Snoopy calendars or running [2590]life patterns. May or may not refer
to someone who actually studies chemistry.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Chernobyl chicken, Next:[2591]Chernobyl packet,
Previous:[2592]chemist, Up:[2593]= C =
Chernobyl chicken n.
See [2594]laser chicken.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Chernobyl packet, Next:[2595]chicken head,
Previous:[2596]Chernobyl chicken, Up:[2597]= C =
Chernobyl packet /cher-noh'b*l pak'*t/ n.
A network packet that induces a [2598]broadcast storm and/or
[2599]network meltdown, in memory of the April 1986 nuclear accident
at Chernobyl in Ukraine. The typical scenario involves an IP Ethernet
datagram that passes through a gateway with both source and
destination Ether and IP address set as the respective broadcast
addresses for the subnetworks being gated between. Compare
[2600]Christmas tree packet.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chicken head, Next:[2601]chiclet keyboard,
Previous:[2602]Chernobyl packet, Up:[2603]= C =
chicken head n.
[Commodore] The Commodore Business Machines logo, which strongly
resembles a poultry part (within Commodore itself the logo was always
called `chicken lips'). Rendered in ASCII as `C='. With the arguable
exception of the Amiga (see [2604]amoeba), Commodore's machines were
notoriously crocky little [2605]bitty boxes (see also [2606]PETSCII),
albeit people have written multitasking Unix-like operating systems
with TCP/IP networking for them. Thus, this usage may owe something to
Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (the
basis for the movie "Blade Runner"; the novel is now sold under that
title), in which a `chickenhead' is a mutant with below-average
intelligence.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chiclet keyboard, Next:[2607]Chinese Army technique,
Previous:[2608]chicken head, Up:[2609]= C =
chiclet keyboard n.
A keyboard with a small, flat rectangular or lozenge-shaped rubber or
plastic keys that look like pieces of chewing gum. (Chiclets is the
brand name of a variety of chewing gum that does in fact resemble the
keys of chiclet keyboards.) Used esp. to describe the original IBM
PCjr keyboard. Vendors unanimously liked these because they were
cheap, and a lot of early portable and laptop products got launched
using them. Customers rejected the idea with almost equal unanimity,
and chiclets are not often seen on anything larger than a digital
watch any more.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Chinese Army technique, Next:[2610]choad, Previous:[2611]chiclet
keyboard, Up:[2612]= C =
Node:choad, Next:[2614]choke, Previous:[2615]Chinese Army technique,
Up:[2616]= C =
choad /chohd/ n.
Synonym for `penis' used in alt.tasteless and popularized by the
denizens thereof. They say: "We think maybe it's from Middle English
but we're all too damned lazy to check the OED." [I'm not. It isn't.
--ESR] This term is alleged to have been inherited through 1960s
underground comics, and to have been recently sighted in the Beavis
and Butthead cartoons. Speakers of the Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati
languages have confirmed that `choad' is in fact an Indian vernacular
word equivalent to `fuck'; it is therefore likely to have entered
English slang via the British Raj.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:choke, Next:[2617]chomp, Previous:[2618]choad, Up:[2619]= C =
choke v.
1. [common] To reject input, often ungracefully. "NULs make System V's
lpr(1) choke." "I tried building an [2620]EMACS binary to use [2621]X,
but cpp(1) choked on all those #defines." See [2622]barf, [2623]gag,
[2624]vi. 2. [MIT] More generally, to fail at any endeavor, but with
some flair or bravado; the popular definition is "to snatch defeat
from the jaws of victory."
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chomp, Next:[2625]chomper, Previous:[2626]choke, Up:[2627]= C =
chomp vi.
1. To [2628]lose; specifically, to chew on something of which more was
bitten off than one can. Probably related to gnashing of teeth. 2. To
bite the bag; See [2629]bagbiter.
A hand gesture commonly accompanies this. To perform it, hold the four
fingers together and place the thumb against their tips. Now open and
close your hand rapidly to suggest a biting action (much like what
Pac-Man does in the classic video game, though this pantomime seems to
predate that). The gesture alone means `chomp chomp' (see "[2630]Verb
Doubling" in the "[2631]Jargon Construction" section of the
Prependices). The hand may be pointed at the object of complaint, and
for real emphasis you can use both hands at once. Doing this to a
person is equivalent to saying "You chomper!" If you point the gesture
at yourself, it is a humble but humorous admission of some failure.
You might do this if someone told you that a program you had written
had failed in some surprising way and you felt dumb for not having
anticipated it.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chomper, Next:[2632]CHOP, Previous:[2633]chomp, Up:[2634]= C =
chomper n.
Someone or something that is chomping; a loser. See [2635]loser,
[2636]bagbiter, [2637]chomp.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:CHOP, Next:[2638]Christmas tree, Previous:[2639]chomper,
Up:[2640]= C =
CHOP /chop/ n.
[IRC] See [2641]channel op.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Christmas tree, Next:[2642]Christmas tree packet,
Previous:[2643]CHOP, Up:[2644]= C =
Christmas tree n.
A kind of RS-232 line tester or breakout box featuring rows of
blinking red and green LEDs suggestive of Christmas lights.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Christmas tree packet, Next:[2645]chrome,
Previous:[2646]Christmas tree, Up:[2647]= C =
Christmas tree packet n.
A packet with every single option set for whatever protocol is in use.
See [2648]kamikaze packet, [2649]Chernobyl packet. (The term doubtless
derives from a fanciful image of each little option bit being
represented by a different-colored light bulb, all turned on.) Compare
[2650]Godzillagram.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chrome, Next:[2651]chug, Previous:[2652]Christmas tree packet,
Up:[2653]= C =
chrome n.
[from automotive slang via wargaming] Showy features added to attract
users but contributing little or nothing to the power of a system.
"The 3D icons in Motif are just chrome, but they certainly are pretty
chrome!" Distinguished from [2654]bells and whistles by the fact that
the latter are usually added to gratify developers' own desires for
featurefulness. Often used as a term of contempt.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:chug, Next:[2655]Church of the SubGenius, Previous:[2656]chrome,
Up:[2657]= C =
chug vi.
To run slowly; to [2658]grind or [2659]grovel. "The disk is chugging
like crazy."
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Church of the SubGenius, Next:[2660]Cinderella Book,
Previous:[2661]chug, Up:[2662]= C =
Church of the SubGenius n.
A mutant offshoot of [2663]Discordianism launched in 1981 as a spoof
of fundamentalist Christianity by the `Reverend' Ivan Stang, a
brilliant satirist with a gift for promotion. Popular among hackers as
a rich source of bizarre imagery and references such as "Bob" the
divine drilling-equipment salesman, the Benevolent Space Xists, and
the Stark Fist of Removal. Much SubGenius theory is concerned with the
acquisition of the mystical substance or quality of [2664]slack. There
is a home page at [2665]http://www.subgenius.com/.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Cinderella Book, Next:[2666]CI$, Previous:[2667]Church of the
SubGenius, Up:[2668]= C =
Cinderella Book [CMU] n.
"Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation", by John
Hopcroft and Jeffrey Ullman, (Addison-Wesley, 1979). So called because
the cover depicts a girl (putatively Cinderella) sitting in front of a
Rube Goldberg device and holding a rope coming out of it. On the back
cover, the device is in shambles after she has (inevitably) pulled on
the rope. See also [2669]book titles.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:CI$, Next:[2670]Classic C, Previous:[2671]Cinderella Book,
Up:[2672]= C =
CI$ // n.
Hackerism for `CIS', CompuServe Information Service. The dollar sign
refers to CompuServe's rather steep line charges. Often used in
[2673]sig blocks just before a CompuServe address. Syn.
[2674]Compu$erve.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Classic C, Next:[2675]clean, Previous:[2676]CI$, Up:[2677]= C =
Classic C /klas'ik C/ n.
[a play on `Coke Classic'] The C programming language as defined in
the first edition of [2678]K&R, with some small additions. It is also
known as `K&R C'. The name came into use while C was being
standardized by the ANSI X3J11 committee. Also `C Classic'.
An analogous construction is sometimes applied elsewhere: thus, `X
Classic', where X = Star Trek (referring to the original TV series) or
X = PC (referring to IBM's ISA-bus machines as opposed to the PS/2
series). This construction is especially used of product series in
which the newer versions are considered serious losers relative to the
older ones.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clean, Next:[2679]CLM, Previous:[2680]Classic C, Up:[2681]= C =
clean 1. adj.
Used of hardware or software designs, implies `elegance in the small',
that is, a design or implementation that may not hold any surprises
but does things in a way that is reasonably intuitive and relatively
easy to comprehend from the outside. The antonym is `grungy' or
[2682]crufty. 2. v. To remove unneeded or undesired files in a effort
to reduce clutter: "I'm cleaning up my account." "I cleaned up the
garbage and now have 100 Meg free on that partition."
_________________________________________________________________
Node:CLM, Next:[2683]clobber, Previous:[2684]clean, Up:[2685]= C =
CLM /C-L-M/
[Sun: `Career Limiting Move'] 1. n. An action endangering one's future
prospects of getting plum projects and raises, and possibly one's job:
"His Halloween costume was a parody of his manager. He won the prize
for `best CLM'." 2. adj. Denotes extreme severity of a bug, discovered
by a customer and obviously missed earlier because of poor testing:
"That's a CLM bug!"
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clobber, Next:[2686]clock, Previous:[2687]CLM, Up:[2688]= C =
clobber vt.
To overwrite, usually unintentionally: "I walked off the end of the
array and clobbered the stack." Compare [2689]mung, [2690]scribble,
[2691]trash, and [2692]smash the stack.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clock, Next:[2693]clocks, Previous:[2694]clobber, Up:[2695]= C =
clock
1. n 1. [techspeak] The master oscillator that steps a CPU or other
digital circuit through its paces. This has nothing to do with the
time of day, although the software counter that keeps track of the
latter may be derived from the former. 2. vt. To run a CPU or other
digital circuit at a particular rate. "If you clock it at 100MHz, it
gets warm.". See [2696]overclock. 3. vt. To force a digital circuit
from one state to the next by applying a single clock pulse. "The data
must be stable 10ns before you clock the latch."
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clocks, Next:[2697]clone, Previous:[2698]clock, Up:[2699]= C =
clocks n.
Processor logic cycles, so called because each generally corresponds
to one clock pulse in the processor's timing. The relative execution
times of instructions on a machine are usually discussed in clocks
rather than absolute fractions of a second; one good reason for this
is that clock speeds for various models of the machine may increase as
technology improves, and it is usually the relative times one is
interested in when discussing the instruction set. Compare
[2700]cycle, [2701]jiffy.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clone, Next:[2702]clone-and-hack coding, Previous:[2703]clocks,
Up:[2704]= C =
clone n.
1. An exact duplicate: "Our product is a clone of their product."
Implies a legal reimplementation from documentation or by
reverse-engineering. Also connotes lower price. 2. A shoddy, spurious
copy: "Their product is a clone of our product." 3. A blatant ripoff,
most likely violating copyright, patent, or trade secret protections:
"Your product is a clone of my product." This use implies legal action
is pending. 4. `PC clone:' a PC-BUS/ISA or EISA-compatible 80x86-based
microcomputer (this use is sometimes spelled `klone' or `PClone').
These invariably have much more bang for the buck than the IBM
archetypes they resemble. 5. In the construction `Unix clone': An OS
designed to deliver a Unix-lookalike environment without Unix license
fees, or with additional `mission-critical' features such as support
for real-time programming. 6. v. To make an exact copy of something.
"Let me clone that" might mean "I want to borrow that paper so I can
make a photocopy" or "Let me get a copy of that file before you
[2705]mung it".
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clone-and-hack coding, Next:[2706]clover key,
Previous:[2707]clone, Up:[2708]= C =
clone-and-hack coding n.
[DEC] Syn. [2709]case and paste.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clover key, Next:[2710]clue-by-four,
Previous:[2711]clone-and-hack coding, Up:[2712]= C =
clover key n.
[Mac users] See [2713]feature key.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clue-by-four, Next:[2714]clustergeeking, Previous:[2715]clover
key, Up:[2716]= C =
clue-by-four
[Usenet: portmanteau, clue + two-by-four] The notional stick with
which one whacks an aggressively clueless person. This term derives
from a western American folk saying about training a mule "First, you
got to hit him with a two-by-four. That's to get his attention." The
clue-by-four is a close relative of the [2717]LART. Syn. `clue stick'.
This metaphor is commonly elaborated; your editor once heard a hacker
say "I strike you with the great sword Clue-Bringer!"
_________________________________________________________________
Node:clustergeeking, Next:[2718]co-lo, Previous:[2719]clue-by-four,
Up:[2720]= C =
clustergeeking /kluh'st*r-gee`king/ n.
[CMU] Spending more time at a computer cluster doing CS homework than
most people spend breathing.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:co-lo, Next:[2721]coaster, Previous:[2722]clustergeeking,
Up:[2723]= C =
co-lo /koh'loh`/ n.
[very common; first heard c.1995] Short for `co-location', used of a
machine you own that is physically sited on the premises of an ISP in
order to take advantage of the ISP's direct access to lots of network
bandwidthm. Often in the phrases `co-lo box' or `co-lo machines'.
Co-lo boxes are typically web and FTP servers remote-administered by
their owners, who may seldom or never visit the actual site.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:coaster, Next:[2724]COBOL, Previous:[2725]co-lo, Up:[2726]= C =
coaster n.
1. Unuseable CD produced during failed attempt at writing to writeable
or re-writeable CD media. Certainly related to the coaster-like shape
of a CD, and the relative value of these failures. "I made a lot of
coasters before I got a good CD." 2. Useless CDs received in the mail
from the likes of AOL, MSN, CI$, Prodigy, ad nauseam.
In the U.K., `beermat' is often used in these senses.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:COBOL, Next:[2727]COBOL fingers, Previous:[2728]coaster,
Up:[2729]= C =
COBOL /koh'bol/ n.
[COmmon Business-Oriented Language] (Synonymous with [2730]evil.) A
weak, verbose, and flabby language used by [2731]card wallopers to do
boring mindless things on [2732]dinosaur mainframes. Hackers believe
that all COBOL programmers are [2733]suits or [2734]code grinders, and
no self-respecting hacker will ever admit to having learned the
language. Its very name is seldom uttered without ritual expressions
of disgust or horror. One popular one is Edsger W. Dijkstra's famous
observation that "The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching
should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offense." (from "Selected
Writings on Computing: A Personal Perspective") See also [2735]fear
and loathing, [2736]software rot.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:COBOL fingers, Next:[2737]cobweb site, Previous:[2738]COBOL,
Up:[2739]= C =
COBOL fingers /koh'bol fing'grz/ n.
Reported from Sweden, a (hypothetical) disease one might get from
coding in COBOL. The language requires code verbose beyond all reason
(see [2740]candygrammar); thus it is alleged that programming too much
in COBOL causes one's fingers to wear down to stubs by the endless
typing. "I refuse to type in all that source code again; it would give
me COBOL fingers!"
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cobweb site, Next:[2741]code, Previous:[2742]COBOL fingers,
Up:[2743]= C =
cobweb site n.
A World Wide Web Site that hasn't been updated so long it has
figuratively grown cobwebs.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:code, Next:[2744]code grinder, Previous:[2745]cobweb site,
Up:[2746]= C =
code n.
The stuff that software writers write, either in source form or after
translation by a compiler or assembler. Often used in opposition to
"data", which is the stuff that code operates on. This is a mass noun,
as in "How much code does it take to do a [2747]bubble sort?", or "The
code is loaded at the high end of RAM." Anyone referring to software
as "the software codes" is probably a [2748]newbie or a [2749]suit.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:code grinder, Next:[2750]code monkey, Previous:[2751]code,
Up:[2752]= C =
code grinder n.
1. A [2753]suit-wearing minion of the sort hired in legion strength by
banks and insurance companies to implement payroll packages in RPG and
other such unspeakable horrors. In its native habitat, the code
grinder often removes the suit jacket to reveal an underplumage
consisting of button-down shirt (starch optional) and a tie. In times
of dire stress, the sleeves (if long) may be rolled up and the tie
loosened about half an inch. It seldom helps. The [2754]code grinder's
milieu is about as far from hackerdom as one can get and still touch a
computer; the term connotes pity. See [2755]Real World, [2756]suit. 2.
Used of or to a hacker, a really serious slur on the person's creative
ability; connotes a design style characterized by primitive technique,
rule-boundedness, [2757]brute force, and utter lack of imagination.
Compare [2758]card walloper; contrast [2759]hacker, [2760]Real
Programmer.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:code monkey, Next:[2761]Code of the Geeks, Previous:[2762]code
grinder, Up:[2763]= C =
code monkey n
1. A person only capable of grinding out code, but unable to perform
the higher-primate tasks of software architecture, analysis, and
design. Mildly insulting. Often applied to the most junior people on a
programming team. 2. Anyone who writes code for a living; a
programmer. 3. A self-deprecating way of denying responsibility for a
[2764]management decision, or of complaining about having to live with
such decisions. As in "Don't ask me why we need to write a compiler
in+COBOL, I'm just a code monkey."
_________________________________________________________________
Node:Code of the Geeks, Next:[2765]code police, Previous:[2766]code
monkey, Up:[2767]= C =
Code of the Geeks n.
see [2768]geek code.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:code police, Next:[2769]codes, Previous:[2770]Code of the Geeks,
Up:[2771]= C =
code police n.
[by analogy with George Orwell's `thought police'] A mythical team of
Gestapo-like storm troopers that might burst into one's office and
arrest one for violating programming style rules. May be used either
seriously, to underline a claim that a particular style violation is
dangerous, or ironically, to suggest that the practice under
discussion is condemned mainly by anal-retentive [2772]weenies. "Dike
out that goto or the code police will get you!" The ironic usage is
perhaps more common.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:codes, Next:[2773]codewalker, Previous:[2774]code police,
Up:[2775]= C =
codes n.
[scientific computing] Programs. This usage is common in people who
hack supercomputers and heavy-duty [2776]number-crunching, rare to
unknown elsewhere (if you say "codes" to hackers outside scientific
computing, their first association is likely to be "and cyphers").
_________________________________________________________________
Node:codewalker, Next:[2777]coefficient of X, Previous:[2778]codes,
Up:[2779]= C =
codewalker n.
A program component that traverses other programs for a living.
Compilers have codewalkers in their front ends; so do cross-reference
generators and some database front ends. Other utility programs that
try to do too much with source code may turn into codewalkers. As in
"This new vgrind feature would require a codewalker to implement."
_________________________________________________________________
Node:coefficient of X, Next:[2780]cokebottle,
Previous:[2781]codewalker, Up:[2782]= C =
coefficient of X n.
Hackish speech makes heavy use of pseudo-mathematical metaphors. Four
particularly important ones involve the terms `coefficient', `factor',
`index of X', and `quotient'. They are often loosely applied to things
you cannot really be quantitative about, but there are subtle
distinctions among them that convey information about the way the
speaker mentally models whatever he or she is describing.
`Foo factor' and `foo quotient' tend to describe something for which
the issue is one of presence or absence. The canonical example is
[2783]fudge factor. It's not important how much you're fudging; the
term simply acknowledges that some fudging is needed. You might talk
of liking a movie for its silliness factor. Quotient tends to imply
that the property is a ratio of two opposing factors: "I would have
won except for my luck quotient." This could also be "I would have won
except for the luck factor", but using quotient emphasizes that it was
bad luck overpowering good luck (or someone else's good luck
overpowering your own).
`Foo index' and `coefficient of foo' both tend to imply that foo is,
if not strictly measurable, at least something that can be larger or
smaller. Thus, you might refer to a paper or person as having a `high
bogosity index', whereas you would be less likely to speak of a `high
bogosity factor'. `Foo index' suggests that foo is a condensation of
many quantities, as in the mundane cost-of-living index; `coefficient
of foo' suggests that foo is a fundamental quantity, as in a
coefficient of friction. The choice between these terms is often one
of personal preference; e.g., some people might feel that bogosity is
a fundamental attribute and thus say `coefficient of bogosity',
whereas others might feel it is a combination of factors and thus say
`bogosity index'.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cokebottle, Next:[2784]cold boot, Previous:[2785]coefficient of
X, Up:[2786]= C =
cokebottle /kohk'bot-l/ n.
Any very unusual character, particularly one you can't type because it
isn't on your keyboard. MIT people used to complain about the
`control-meta-cokebottle' commands at SAIL, and SAIL people complained
right back about the `escape-escape-cokebottle' commands at MIT. After
the demise of the [2787]space-cadet keyboard, `cokebottle' faded away
as serious usage, but was often invoked humorously to describe an
(unspecified) weird or non-intuitive keystroke command. It may be due
for a second inning, however. The OSF/Motif window manager, mwm(1),
has a reserved keystroke for switching to the default set of
keybindings and behavior. This keystroke is (believe it or not)
`control-meta-bang' (see [2788]bang). Since the exclamation point
looks a lot like an upside down Coke bottle, Motif hackers have begun
referring to this keystroke as `cokebottle'. See also [2789]quadruple
bucky.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:cold boot, Next:[2790]COME FROM, Previous:[2791]cokebottle,
Up:[2792]= C =
cold boot n.
See [2793]boot.
_________________________________________________________________
Node:COME FROM, Next:[2794]comm mode, Previous:[2795]cold boot,
Up:[2796]= C =
COME FROM n.
A semi-mythical language construct dual to the `go to'; COME FROM