How come include file patent isn't mentioned in position paper?

Marco S Hyman marc at dumbcat.sf.ca.us
Sun May 12 11:26:38 AEST 1991


In article <BZS.91May10200405 at world.std.com> bzs at world.std.com (Barry Shein) writes:
 > 
 > From: barmar at think.com (Barry Margolin)
 > >This sounds much fancier than the standard #include file mechanism.  Most
 > >#include facilities don't have any way to specify portions of files, only
 > >whole files.
 > 
 > Sure they do:

 [[ description of #define method of partial file inclusion deleted ]]

Some compilers provided support for partial file inclusion, too. The
Burroughs algol (and derivative) compilers had a compiler command named:

    $ include <file option> <start option> <stop option>

You could do things like

    $ include "filename" 100 500    % include lines 100 - 500 from "filename"

and then later in the code say

    $ include			% includes the remainder of the last file.

I just refreshed my memory from a book published in '77.  The idea could be
much older than that.  Certainly it's nothing new.

 > Is any of this relevant to the issue?)

Don't know.

// marc
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