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"Microprogramming" is the standard term for internal microcode within a CPU. It transforms machine code instructions into sequences of operations the hardware c

"Microprogramming" is the standard term for internal microcode within a CPU. It transforms machine code instructions into sequences of operations the hardware can directly execute. The article in this post gives a totally different meaning to this already existing and established term.

UncleOxidant 2y ago
Yeah, clicked on link expecting to read something interesting about microprogramming and microcode. Was much disappointed.
fanf2 2y ago
It’s really old too. Maurice Wilkes invented microprogramming in 1951. https://people.computing.clemson.edu/~mark/uprog.html https://people.computing.clemson.edu/~mark/uprog.html
breck 2y ago
You bring up great information for anyone who is familiar with Microcode and might get confused by my use of the term Microprogramming here. I'm not talking about Microcode at all here, I'm repurposing the Microprogramming term for another use. In addition to software, I have a background in Microbiology. This new approach to programming is far more inspired by microbiology than by traditional programming langs (I've just updated the post with a bit more to clarify that, as I realize now that this connection was completely missed and my fault for ommitting it). Final 2 points: 1. Wikipedia actually redirects "Microprogramming" to "Microcoding". The latter is a better term for writing microcode. 2. "Computer" once meant something else too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(occupation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(occupation)
- miffy900 2y ago
  You conveniently leave out that same Wikipedia article on Microcode says: "The act of writing microcode is often referred to as microprogramming, and the microcode in a specific processor implementation is sometimes termed a microprogram."
  - breck 2y ago
    Please put some effort into actually engaging with the tools and software and ideas. If you need examples of how to do that: https://news.pub https://news.pub.
    - tornadofart 2y ago
      Your comments read as if we as a community had the duty to engage with your ideas and tools. We don't. It's commendable, but not our duty. It is perfectly okay and ethical for some software engineer to browse your blog post, understand nothing / get confused by your terminology, and say so. IMHO the onus is on you to present your ideas in a way that makes them understandable for at least experts. Granted, it's not easy and I don't know what I would have done in your place.
      - breck 2y ago
        > IMHO the onus is on you to present your ideas in a way that makes them understandable for at least experts. Agreed. And that's why I've pushed 13 revisions since the initial publication (https://github.com/breck7/breckyunits.com/commits/main/microprograms.scroll https://github.com/breck7/breckyunits.com/commits/main/micro...) 2 days ago. I'm learning how to better explain this. I think this video is the best attempt yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4mJh7TgICE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4mJh7TgICE My suggestion to all in this thread who _feels_ there's something interesting here to record, using Loom or similar, your interactions with these ideas and tools. I can then read your facial expressions and body language and understand much better how you are not understanding things and improve my explanations. Video is a highbandwidth form of communication. And it takes the exact same amount of time! Less time in fact, because you only need to record your interactions with the tool. You don't need to follow that up with written comments.

UncleOxidant 2y ago

Yeah, clicked on link expecting to read something interesting about microprogramming and microcode. Was much disappointed.

fanf2 2y ago

It’s really old too. Maurice Wilkes invented microprogramming in 1951. https://people.computing.clemson.edu/~mark/uprog.html https://people.computing.clemson.edu/~mark/uprog.html

breck 2y ago

You bring up great information for anyone who is familiar with Microcode and might get confused by my use of the term Microprogramming here. I'm not talking about Microcode at all here, I'm repurposing the Microprogramming term for another use. In addition to software, I have a background in Microbiology. This new approach to programming is far more inspired by microbiology than by traditional programming langs (I've just updated the post with a bit more to clarify that, as I realize now that this connection was completely missed and my fault for ommitting it). Final 2 points: 1. Wikipedia actually redirects "Microprogramming" to "Microcoding". The latter is a better term for writing microcode. 2. "Computer" once meant something else too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(occupation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(occupation)

miffy900 2y ago
You conveniently leave out that same Wikipedia article on Microcode says: "The act of writing microcode is often referred to as microprogramming, and the microcode in a specific processor implementation is sometimes termed a microprogram."
- breck 2y ago
  Please put some effort into actually engaging with the tools and software and ideas. If you need examples of how to do that: https://news.pub https://news.pub.
  - tornadofart 2y ago
    Your comments read as if we as a community had the duty to engage with your ideas and tools. We don't. It's commendable, but not our duty. It is perfectly okay and ethical for some software engineer to browse your blog post, understand nothing / get confused by your terminology, and say so. IMHO the onus is on you to present your ideas in a way that makes them understandable for at least experts. Granted, it's not easy and I don't know what I would have done in your place.
    - breck 2y ago
      > IMHO the onus is on you to present your ideas in a way that makes them understandable for at least experts. Agreed. And that's why I've pushed 13 revisions since the initial publication (https://github.com/breck7/breckyunits.com/commits/main/microprograms.scroll https://github.com/breck7/breckyunits.com/commits/main/micro...) 2 days ago. I'm learning how to better explain this. I think this video is the best attempt yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4mJh7TgICE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4mJh7TgICE My suggestion to all in this thread who _feels_ there's something interesting here to record, using Loom or similar, your interactions with these ideas and tools. I can then read your facial expressions and body language and understand much better how you are not understanding things and improve my explanations. Video is a highbandwidth form of communication. And it takes the exact same amount of time! Less time in fact, because you only need to record your interactions with the tool. You don't need to follow that up with written comments.