- #1
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from programming long ago?
Do you remember DEADBEEF from your early programming days?
- Thread starter jim mcnamara
- Start date
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the hexadecimal number 0xDEADBEEF, its significance in programming, and its use as a recognizable value in various contexts. Participants share memories and anecdotes related to its application, humor involving hexadecimal numbers, and its role in programming practices.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Conceptual clarification
- Debate/contested
- Meta-discussion
Main Points Raised
- Some participants recall using 0xDEADBEEF as a default setting in applications, noting its potential implications for customer perceptions.
- Others mention the use of 0xDEADBEEF as a recognizable sentinel value in programming, particularly for debugging or identifying null data.
- A participant humorously reflects on the difficulty of making hexadecimal jokes, suggesting that they may not resonate with modern programmers.
- Another participant shares a joke that plays on the relationship between different numeral systems, indicating a preference for humor in other bases.
- Some participants express nostalgia for earlier programming days, referencing limitations such as the maximum number representable in older systems.
- It is noted that Solaris' malloc uses 0xDEADBEEF to mark free memory, highlighting its practical application in memory management.
- A participant provides a link to a list of magic numbers in programming, indicating interest in further exploration of the topic.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally share fond memories and anecdotes about 0xDEADBEEF, but there is no consensus on its significance or the effectiveness of hexadecimal humor. Multiple perspectives on its use and cultural implications are present.
Contextual Notes
Some claims about the use of 0xDEADBEEF as null data or a sentinel value are based on personal recollections and may not be universally applicable across all programming contexts.
- #2
Borg
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Yes.
- #3
gmax137
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no.
- #4
Mark44
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Sure. The hex number 0xDEADBEEF happens to be the decimal number 3735928559, although that's of no real consequence.
- #5
Borg
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Maybe it's his phone number. 
- #6
berkeman
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I remember that we used it as a default setting a few years ago (I don't remember the exact application), but it was pointed out that it might not sit well with our vegetarian customers (which we never thought of), so we changed it. Not so much to be PC, but to avoid potential conflicts. (And that was before I married a vegetarian...) 
- #7
Klystron
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I tried to relate a few hexadecimal jokes before but they fell flat. Either jokes made with words formed from the first six letters of the alphabet (combined with digits 0..9 ?) are not funny or people do not program hex any more. Cafe Dead, Feed Beef, Deaf Fade, Aced Deed.
Ho-Hum
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- #8
Vanadium 50
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Klystron said:
I agree. Jokes are better in other bases:
Why do programmers confuse Christmas with Halloween?
Because 31 Oct = 25 Dec
- #9
Borek
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Yep.
- #10
DavidSnider
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Yep.
Code:
_ _
((___))
[ x x ]
\ /
(' ')
(U)- #11
diogenesNY
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Wow. This takes me back to the days when 32767 was the highest number in the universe!
I seem to have some recollection that deadbeef was null data on some systems... i.e. if you read some section of a program or data space that contained null data (as opposed to just zeros or random noise), than you would see deadbeef, in hex... but this is just a vague wisp of unrefreshed memory.
diogenesNY
I seem to have some recollection that deadbeef was null data on some systems... i.e. if you read some section of a program or data space that contained null data (as opposed to just zeros or random noise), than you would see deadbeef, in hex... but this is just a vague wisp of unrefreshed memory.
diogenesNY
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Nugatory
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Sure, and there are many more as well. We used these values when we needed something that would stand out in a hex dump (either scanning visually or searching), or a recognizable sentinel valuejim mcnamara said:
A few others: FEEDBEEF, FEEDFACE, DEAFBEEF, ...
- #13
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Solaris' malloc uses it to mark free memory. FWIW.
- #14
DrClaude
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I had to look up DEADBEEF when I first stumbled on this thread and I found the following interesting list:Nugatory said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_number_(programming)#Magic_debug_values
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