Patent on aligned memcpy

[joel@OARcorp.com]

On Thu, 20 Aug 1998, Per Bothner wrote:

> > 1.  The wording uses the term compiler but the description sounds like an  
> > interpreter since it is "implemented in a compiler that  
> > compiles different portions of code at run time into a block of code  
> > that is then immediately executed".  The words "immediately executed" are  
> > what leads me to this thought.
> 
> Sounds like a compiler to me.  Why can't compiled code be
> "immediately executed"?
> 
> Have you heard of a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler?  It is commonly
> used for Java systems that at run-time translate byte-codes
> into machine code (in mmeory) and immeditaley execute them.

It is easy to forget about JIT compilers when you spend your head "embed" 
all the time. :) 

> Same idea, but designed to optimize a specific application (blt).

There still should be plenty of graphics domain prior experience to
invalidate this one.  Optimizing the process of moving memory around is as
old as computers.  

--joel