Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2002 13:49:20 -0500
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From: DJ Delorie <dj AT delorie DOT com>
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In-reply-to: <1039113580.653290@cswreg.cos.agilent.com> (rrd@ftc.agilent.com)
Subject: Re: a.out.h
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> I think it was Peter van der Linden, in "Deep C Secrets", who reminded us that
> "a.out" was so named because it was short for "assembler output".

What I heard was this: the first compiler language *way* back when was
called "a".  Next was "b", then "bcpl", then "c".  a.out was the
output of the "a" compiler.

You'd think we'd have c.out by now ;-)