May 15, 2003

overflow bit

n.

1. [techspeak] A flag on some processors indicating an attempt to calculate a result too large for a register to hold.

2. More generally, an indication of any kind of capacity overload condition. Well, the Ada description was baroque all right, but I could hack it OK until they got to the exception handling ... that set my overflow bit.

3. The hypothetical bit that will be set if a hacker doesn't get to make a trip to the Room of Porcelain Fixtures: I'd better process an internal interrupt before the overflow bit gets set.

Crunchly and the overflow bit.

(The next cartoon in the Crunchly saga is 73-07-29)

Posted by Jargon File at May 15, 2003 10:35 AM

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