Thunks

Does anybody know where the routine name Thunk came from?
[It was coined about 1960 to describe the callback routines needed to
implement call-by-name, shortly after the Algol60 committee realized
they'd invented call-by-name by mistake. -John]


I believe that Peter Z. Ingerman found the solution and named it
"thunks". This is the same Ingerman who wrote a book on his syntax
driven compiler construction method. The last I know, he works for the
Franklin Company that makes language translation and dictionary
"calculators". Their offices are in New Jersey.


Marv Graham e-mail: marv.graham@yesac.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM -OR-
NCR Dept. 757 uunet!yesac.columbiasc.NCR.COM!graham@uunet.uu.net
3325 Platt Springs Rd. phone: 1 803 939 5501
W. Columbia, SC 29170-2203 fax: 1 803 939 2088
[Makes sense -- Ned Irons who invented syntax directed translation is at
Franklin, too. -John]




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