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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>break-even point</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../B.html" title="B"/><link rel="previous" href="break.html" title="break"/><link rel="next" href="breath-of-life-packet.html" title="breath-of-life packet"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">break-even point</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="break.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">B</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="breath-of-life-packet.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="break-even-point"/><dt xmlns="" id="break-even-point"><b>break-even point</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">n.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> In the process of implementing a new computer language, the point at
which the language is sufficiently effective that one can implement the
language in itself. That is, for a new language called, hypothetically,
FOOGOL, one has reached break-even when one can write a demonstration
compiler for FOOGOL in FOOGOL, discard the original implementation
language, and thereafter use working versions of FOOGOL to develop newer
ones. This is an important milestone; see
<a href="../M/MFTL.html"><i class="glossterm">MFTL</i></a>.</p></dd><dd><p>Since this entry was first written, several correspondents have
reported that there actually was a compiler for a tiny Algol-like language
called Foogol floating around on various <a href="../V/VAXen.html"><i class="glossterm">VAXen</i></a> in
the early and mid-1980s. A FOOGOL implementation is available at the
Retrocomputing Museum <a href="http://www.catb.org/retro/" target="_top">http://www.catb.org/retro/</a>.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="break.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../B.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="breath-of-life-packet.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">break </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> breath-of-life packet</td></tr></table></div></body></html>