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From: ma_jpb@bath63.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: information content of DNA
Message-ID: <910@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 9-Apr-87 05:22:27 EST
Article-I.D.: bath63.910
Posted: Thu Apr  9 05:22:27 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 13:23:38 EST
References: <2840@ecsvax.UUCP> <11189@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA> <978@aecom.UUCP> <425@haddock.UUCP> <1010@aecom.UUCP> <430@haddock.UUCP>
Reply-To: ma_jpb@ux63.bath.ac.uk (Bennett)
Organization: University of Bath, England
Lines: 16
Keywords: Reading frames, Diassemblers

An effect similar to that of DNA reading frames will have been experienced by
anyone who has tried to write a disassembler. Finding where to start decoding
an arbitrary chunk of code, particularly if the code may include static data is
difficult, even for a machine such as the 6502 with a relatively sparse
instruction set. It is very easy to find chunks of static data that decode for
several instructions as apparently valid code. For machines such as the NS32016
with very densly encoded instruction sets, such that almost any bit sequence is
a valid instruction, symbolic disassembly is exceedingly awkward.

J.P. Bennett

School of Mathematical Sciences
University of Bath
Bath, England, BA2 7AY
Tel:   +44 225 826891
Email: ma_jpb@uk.ac.bath.ux63