Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!mailrus!uwmcsd1!uxc!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!urbsdc!aglew
From: aglew@urbsdc.Urbana.Gould.COM
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Software Distribution
Message-ID: <28200194@urbsdc>
Date: 4 Sep 88 18:15:00 GMT
References: <891@taux01.UUCP>
Lines: 15
Nf-ID: #R:taux01.UUCP:891:urbsdc:28200194:000:751
Nf-From: urbsdc.Urbana.Gould.COM!aglew    Sep  4 13:15:00 1988


..> A standard intermediate language for software distribution:
>There really is no difference between an easy to emulate virtual
>machine and an universal intermediate form. Quads map directly to a 3
>address machine, reverse polish maps to a stack machine, and trees can
>also be directly executed. (EVAL in microcode anyone? Yes, I know its
>been done.) If the intension is to translate it for the target machine
>anyway, why not use a form with as much information left in as
>possible?

The form with as much information left in as possible is the source code.

The purpose of an intermediate language for software distribution 
is to REMOVE information, namely that information that would let
the customer reproduce the original program easily.