[Info-vax] Micro Focus to be acquired by Open Text

[Dave Froble]

On 9/2/2022 10:57 AM, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> On 2022-09-02 16:45, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>> On 9/2/2022 10:33 AM, John Dallman wrote:
>>> In article <63120065$0$705$14726298 at news.sunsite.dk>, arne at vajhoej.dk
>>> (Arne Vajhøj) wrote:
>>>
>>>> What about CDC Display code?
>>>>
>>>> :-)
>>>>
>>>> Hint: 6 bit! (well 6 or 6/12 bit)
>>>
>>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDC_display_code> That's ... well, it
>>> looks insane to me, but I presume it was at least somewhat suited to the
>>> needs of the time. I don't believe the 63- and 64-character variations
>>> can ever have been a good idea, though.
>>
>> It sort of made sense as the CDC system at the time operated on 60 bit
>> entities (18 bit addresses of 60 bit words).
>>
>> 10 characters of 6 bits in a 60 bit word is manageable.
>>
>> 5-10 characters of 6/12 bits in a 60 bit word is somewhat manageable.
>>
>> 7.5 characters of 8 bit in a 60 bit word is not fun.
>
> Just waiting for someone to bring up the PDP-10 now. Bytes are of variable
> length in the hardware, but 5 7-bit bytes in one word was common, with just one
> wasted bit per word.
> But again, 8-bit bytes would waste 4 bits per word...
>
>   Johnny

Back in the early 1970s I took a course in Cobol at University.  Cobol on the 
PDP-10 used 6 bit characters.  6 characters per 36 bit word.

There, you got your mention ...

:-)

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
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