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From: Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: The joy of FORTRAN
Date: 26 Feb 2025 19:22:19 -0500
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> writes:

> On Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:47:15 -0700, Peter Flass wrote:

>> The idea of defining different-sized bytes is a real plus.

> What they meant by "bytes" was really just "bitfields".

Look up the original definition of "byte" in the signal processing literature,
and you'll find that "arbitrary bitfield" is the original meaning, dude.

The restriction of "byte" to "bitfield of a particular size for the manufacturer's
architecture, especially 8 bits" is the odd choice.

-- 
Rich Alderson					  news@alderson.users.panix.com
      Audendum est, et veritas investiganda; quam etiamsi non assequamur,
	  omnino tamen proprius, quam nunc sumus, ad eam perveniemus.
									--Galen