ftp.cs.arizona.edu/ftp.cs.arizona.edu.tar/ftp.cs.arizona.edu/icon/newsgrp/group93c.txt/000068_icon-group-sender _Sat Oct 2 13:49:27 1993.msg

Internet Message Format | 1994-02-02 | 2KB

Received: by cheltenham.cs.arizona.edu; Thu, 7 Oct 1993 08:41:16 MST
Date: 2 Oct 93 13:49:27 GMT
From: cis.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!wupost!tulane!cs.cs.uno.edu!uno.edu![e-mail]
Organization: University of New Orleans
Subject: Self-Extending/Modifying Code
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Can one write code in Icon that extends or modifies itself during
run-time?  It has been suggested to me that this can be done, but
after reading/browsing (depending on the chapter) the 1990 edition
of the Griswolds' book, I can find no way to do this.  Admittedly
I can use the "create" command to do something like this, but only
if I write the code that I wish to add myself.

What I would like to do is something like this...  Imagine a procedure
that randomly generates legal icon procedures.  Procedures that do not
appear anywhere in the code currently being run.  I would like to be
able to generate a totally new procedure, store it as a string (or
whatever is appropriate) in a variable, and then jump command to that
string/program just created.  All of this during run-time.  Something
like:

my_program := random_code()
my_program()

Ideally, there should be a way to get the origional code to make
changes to itself, as well.  However this is too much to hope for.

Any help would be appreciated.

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