Re: What Defins the "C" Language?

From: Stephen Sprunk (stephen_at_sprunk.org)
Date: 12/03/04 

Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2004 16:56:55 -0600

"Chris Croughton" <chris@keristor.net> wrote in message
news:slrncr1anm.5fg.chris@ccserver.keris.net...
> On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 10:03:48 -0500, Xenos
> <dont.spam.me@spamhate.com> wrote:
>
>> "Richard Tobin" <richard@cogsci.ed.ac.uk> wrote in message
>> news:copu7s$19q7$1@pc-news.cogsci.ed.ac.uk...
>>> In article <copt6n$9kr3@cui1.lmms.lmco.com>,
>>> Xenos <dont.spam.me@spamhate.com> wrote:
>>> >You are implying that all current machine use 8-bit bytes. There
>>> >are more computers out there than just PCs. Ever had to program a
>>> >DSP?
>>>
>>> This is true, but you exaggerate: you don't have to restrict yourself
>>> to PCs to only encounter 8-bit bytes.
>>>
>> I didn't intend to exaggerate, nor imply that there weren't 8-bit
>> processors outside of the PC realm.
>
> That is, however, what you did imply. IBM have used 8-bit bytes from
> the mid 1960s, DEC since the PDP-11, etc. Most of the manufacturers who
> have used other sizes haven't called them 'bytes'.

There have been enough that called non-8-bit units "bytes" that the term
"octet" is preferred in uses where the distinction is critical (e.g.
networking).

8-bit bytes have become so dominant that "byte" and "octet" are often used
interchangeably, but that's obviously not accurate on some systems that most
folks would not consider "mainstream" or "normal".

S 

-- 
Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking