Why is the code section called a text section?
The section of an executable that contains code is sometimes called the .text section. In segmented memory architectures, a segment mapped as code is sometimes called a text segment. The unix error message “text file busy” (ETXTBSY) means “this file is a program that is being executed”.
What triggered the popularity of lambda functions in modern mainstream programming languages?
In the last few years anonymous functions (AKA lambda functions) have become a very popular language construct and almost every major / mainstream programming language has introduced them or is planned to introduce them in an upcoming revision of the standard.
Why did object-oriented paradigms take so long to go mainstream?
I read this question and it got me thinking about another fairly recent thing. Object oriented languages. I’m not sure when the first one was created, but why did it take so long before they became mainstream?
History of Associative Array?
In quite a lot of modern scripting languages (e.g. Perl, Python, Ruby, PHP, Lua, JavaScript), associative arrays are supported as a primitive or first-class data type (with various names like map, dictionary, hash, etc.) in a very convenient syntax, making convenient data-driven paradigms possible.
Why is Java version 1.X referred to as Java X?
I saw that Java 1.2 is also known as Java 2. Do “Java 1.x” and “Java x” (for example “Java 1.6” and “Java 6”) refer to the same version of Java?
Where does the term “Front End” come from?
Where does the term “front-end” come from? Is there a particular presentation/talk/job-posting which is regarded as the first use of the term? Is someone credited with coining the term?
Why is the sudden increase in number of Git submitters on Debian popcon graph in 2010-01?
Want to improve this post? Provide detailed answers to this question, including citations and an explanation of why your answer is correct. Answers without enough detail may be edited or deleted. Almost every article I’ve read 1 comparing Git and Mercurial it seems like Mercurial has a better command line UX with each command being […]
What language was “standard” for Apple development before Objective C?
I don’t think Objective C was in use from the beginning of Apple hardware development. What languages did app developers use for the earlier Apple computers, such as Apple II or Mac Classic?
Did “Viaweb” work in the browser without JavaScript and somehow use only Lisp?
I just read Beating the Averages, and Mr. Graham writes that they had a significant advantage over competitors because they used Lisp.
When did the standard for packaging Linux source code become .tar.gz?
When browsing open-source projects that are primarily developed for Linux systems and downloading the latest packages, the source code is always stored in a .tar.gz or .tar.bz2 file.