Fandango on core
Encyclopedia
Fandango on core is a computer programming
term for the effects of a pointer running out of bounds, often leading to a core dump
, or failures in other seemingly unrelated processes. In extreme situations, fandango on core may lead to the overwriting of operating system
code, possibly causing data loss or system crashes. The advent of protected memory means that while a program cannot overwrite the memory of other programs, a loose pointer can still cause strange behaviour within the application.
The term presumably comes from the programmer imagining the program following the wild pointer and dancing a fandango
on the core (an older term for memory) of a program.
Computer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
term for the effects of a pointer running out of bounds, often leading to a core dump
Core dump
In computing, a core dump consists of the recorded state of the working memory of a computer program at a specific time, generally when the program has terminated abnormally...
, or failures in other seemingly unrelated processes. In extreme situations, fandango on core may lead to the overwriting of operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
code, possibly causing data loss or system crashes. The advent of protected memory means that while a program cannot overwrite the memory of other programs, a loose pointer can still cause strange behaviour within the application.
The term presumably comes from the programmer imagining the program following the wild pointer and dancing a fandango
Fandango
Fandango is a lively couple's dance, usually in triple metre, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping . Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones"...
on the core (an older term for memory) of a program.
External links
- "Fandango on core" entry from the Jargon FileJargon FileThe Jargon File is a glossary of computer programmer slang. The original Jargon File was a collection of terms from technical cultures such as the MIT AI Lab, the Stanford AI Lab and others of the old ARPANET AI/LISP/PDP-10 communities, including Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Carnegie Mellon...