Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft's 'IsNot' Patent Continued...

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the but-don't-worry-it's-only-for-basic dept.

An anonymous reader writes " According to the patent application--filed in mid-November by Paul Vick, lead architect for Visual Basic .Net at Microsoft; Amanda Silver, a program manager on the Visual Basic team; and an individual in Bellevue, Wash., named Costica Barsan--the IsNot operator is described as a single operator that allows a comparison of two variables to determine if the two point to the same location in memory." This article continues the tale started last november, and here is an eWeek story on the same subject.

4 of 566 comments (clear)

  1. Oh please! by BWJones · · Score: 5, Insightful

    the IsNot operator is described as a single operator that allows a comparison of two variables to determine if the two point to the same location in memory.

    Oh please. I remember our programming instructor in sixth grade teaching us about this logic operator is BASIC. This is simply an effort (albeit transparent) for Microsoft to continue to duplicate pre-existing code for Microsoft specific code to ensure that programs written with Microsoft specific tools will maintain future market share for the company. In other words, the creation of a Microsoft specific "equals" means that code years down the road will require Microsoft specific tools to edit/change/run this code. I call shenanigans! This is not innovation in any technical sense and indeed is not even innovation in a business sense.

    --
    Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    1. Re:Oh please! by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 5, Insightful
      "IsNot" is different from "Not equal to"

      But it is the same as "Not equal to" applied to the address of the variable:

      a isNot b
      is equivalent to:
      &a != &b

      So, it's still a pretty trivial concept...

  2. I'm all for it! by Weaselmancer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Go IsNot patent, go!

    The sooner the industry is choked with these obvious lock-out bullshit patents, the sooner development will grind to a total stop for fear of litigation. And as soon as that happens, the system will have to be reformed.

    Well, either that or we all give up tech completely and be farmers. It's in the court's hands now.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
  3. What about Europe? by argent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hold on, if Microsoft is just developing a patent arsenal in case someone else uses software patents against them, how come thay're pushing so hard for software patents in Europe? If this is just a matter of defense, Bill Gates should be asking European ministers to oppose the software patent process, not twisting their arms to push it through against the will of the European Parliament.

    What am I missing?