BABYL OPTIONS: -*- rmail -*- Version: 5 Labels: Note: This is the header of an rmail file. Note: If you are seeing it in rmail, Note: it means the file has no messages in it.  0, unseen,, *** EOOH *** Newsgroups: comp.lang.c Path: cv3.cv.nrao.edu!cv3.cv.nrao.edu!dwells From: dwells@fits.cv.nrao.edu (Don Wells) Subject: Re: Binary Char=>Int Variable In-Reply-To: joe@bftsi0.UUCP's message of 24 Dec 93 18: 50:21 GMT Message-ID: Sender: news@nrao.edu Organization: nrao References: <73.3342.2497.0N689702@toadhall.com> <2f4cfb$8e7@ic1.ic.dk> <1993Dec21.213901.13@vax1.dcu.ie> <2851@bftsi0.UUCP> Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1993 03:02:46 GMT Lines: 46 In article <2851@bftsi0.UUCP> joe@bftsi0.UUCP (Joe Foster of Borg) writes: In article <1993Dec21.213901.13@vax1.dcu.ie>, 92701027@vax1.dcu.ie writes: [discussion of ways to portably convert a byte stream to an integer] JF> ... MWC has the patent on specifying byte ordering in order to JF> facilitate the transfer of binary data between machines with JF> dissimilar native byte ordering schemes. I do not have the patent JF> number offhand. So far, MWC hasn't been.. agressive in enforcing JF> their patent.. a standardized byte ordering scheme.. is covered JF> by the patent. I do hope it's been overturned, but I think I'd JF> have read about such an event in the industry rags if it has.. If someone wants to make a "prior-art" attack on this patent, I suggest that they take a look at the file ftp://fits.cv.nrao.edu/fits/documents/overviews/history.news The text in this file is an overview of the early history of FITS [FLexible Image Transport Format], which has been the standard data interchange and archival format of the worldwide astronomy community since 1980. The formal publication of FITS occurred in June 1981 in the journal "Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplements". That paper was received by the journal in September 1980. The original draft had been circulated for review in April 1979. However, the relevant prior-art date for the byte-order conventions used by FITS was March 22, 1977, when the format of one of the initial working prototypes was frozen. That prototype was documented in a technical memo. The relevant text occurs on p.4 of that memo: "..the records are always a bit stream in the standard order. This means that PDP-11 computers must correct for the swapped-byte action of their magnetic tape units.." In summary, in the spring of 1977 astronomers invented the idea that a set of standard data types and a standard byte order would facilitate interchange between diverse computer architectures. The concept was realized in prototype systems at that time, and has been deployed in production astronomical software systems worldwide since 1979. What date do MWC claim for their invention? -- Donald C. Wells Associate Scientist dwells@nrao.edu http://fits.cv.nrao.edu/~dwells National Radio Astronomy Observatory +1-804-296-0277 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903-2475 USA