Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!lll-winken!sun-barr!newstop!sun!amdahl!netcom!mcmahan
From: mcmahan@netcom.UUCP (Dave Mc Mahan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Whats wrong with self Modifying Code?
Keywords: religion, gurus, whats up?
Message-ID: <11749@netcom.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jul 90 07:05:16 GMT
References: <1990Jul6.201328.24660@csmil.umich.edu> <1990Jul6.201743.24777@csmil.umich.edu>
Organization: Dave McMahan @ NetCom Services
Lines: 23


 In a previous article, chymes@fribourg.csmil.umich.edu (Charles Hymes) writes:
>Oh great gurus, enlighten this poor soul who hath not programmed in
>Holy Assembler sence the loly 6502 was mighty.
>Yea, I pray that thou dost not blast my humble screen with mighty
>blasts of searing, wrathful flame, but knowest this, that I hath donned
>the sacred absphestos suit, and awaitest thou's marvelous revalation.
>
>I'd really like to know.
>
For one thing, It's not re-entrant.  That means you can't let more than one
process share the same physical piece of code without major overhead.  For
another, it's not even close to easy in a language like 'C' (or any other,
than assembler).  With a 68000, there really isn't a good reason to do such,
since there are other ways to run just as fast without it.  Finally, it's a
major pain in the ass to debug and document for the future.  I have seen people
dork the top value on the stack while in a subroutine and return to a different
place from where they came from, but that too is compiler specific and is
non-portable as all heck.  Just say 'no' to self-modifying code.

>Charlweed Hymerfan A Major (but humble) Dude

    -dave