wound around the axle ==>
infinite loop
<programming> (Or "endless loop") Where a piece of program is executed
repeatedly with no hope of stopping. This is nearly always because of a bug,
e.g. if the condition for exiting the loop is wrong, though it may be
intentional if the program is controlling an embedded system which is supposed
to run continuously until it is turned off. The programmer may also intend the
program to run until interrupted by the user. An endless loop may also be used
as a last-resort error handler when no other action is appropriate. This is used
in some operating system kernels following a panic.
A program executing an infinite loop is said to spin or buzz forever and goes
catatonic. The program is "wound around the axle".
A standard joke has been made about each generation's exemplar of the ultra-fast
machine: "The Cray-3 is so fast it can execute an infinite loop in under 2
seconds!"
See also black hole, recursion, infinite loop.
[Jargon File]
(1996-05-11)
Nearby terms:
infimum « infinite « Infinite Impulse Response «
infinite loop » Infinite Monkey Theorem »
infinite set » infinity
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