Re: HELP ! need to insert value in array !!

[kilgallen@eisner.decus.org (Larry Kilgallen)]

In article <dewar.868107828@merv>, dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) writes:

> Sure, but why do you think those instructions where there (the ones to
> handle odd chunk sizes). The answer is that the motivation was precisely
> to allow convenient support of the 7 bit format. The use of these
> instructions for any other size was rare. What happened was that there
> was a requirement for supporting the 5 char/word format in the hardware,
> and the designers generalized it to any byte size (rememebr this was the
> hey day of extravagant CISC design).

I would be interested in anything someone have to back up this claim.
I recall viewing 7 bit as just as "odd" as any other size, with 6,
9, 18 and 36 bits as being the most "natural" sizes for the machine.
As I recall all the TOPS-10 (and for that matter, ITS) directory
services were based on SIXBIT.  If the variable byte size capability
was really just an extension from an initial requirement to support
7 bits, I would like to hear the story.

Larry Kilgallen