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BETA

Kristensen, Madsen <olmadsen@daimi.aau.dk>, Moller-Pedersen & Nygaard, 1983. Object-oriented language with block structure, coroutines, concurrency, strong typing, part objects, separate objects and classless objects. Central feature is a single abstraction mechanism called "patterns", a generalisation of classes, providing instantiation and hierarchical inheritance for all objects including procedures and processes.

Mjolner Informatics ApS, Aarhus, implementations for Mac, Sun, HP, Apollo.

E-mail: <info@mjolner.dk>.

Mailing list: <usergroup@mjolner.dk>.

["Object-Oriented Programming in the BETA Programming Language", Ole Lehrmann et al, A-W June 1993, ISBN 0-201-62430-3].

[Jargon File]

(1995-10-31)

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beta

/bay't*/, /be't*/ or (Commonwealth) /bee't*/

See beta conversion, beta test.

[Jargon File]

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beta abstraction

[lambda-calculus] The conversion of an expression to an application of a lambda abstraction to an argument expression. Some subterm of the original expression becomes the argument of the abstraction and the rest becomes its body. E.g.

	4+1 --> (\ x . x+1) 4

The opposite of beta abstraction is beta reduction. These are the two kinds of beta conversion.

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beta conversion

<theory> A term from lambda-calculus for beta reduction or beta abstraction.

(1999-01-15)

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Betamaxed

<jargon> When a technology is overtaken in the market by inferior but better marketed competition. E.g. "Microsoft betamaxed Apple right out of the market". The Betamex videotape standard lost to VHS.

(1999-01-15)

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beta reduction

[lambda-calculus] The application of a lambda abstraction to an argument expression. A copy of the body of the lambda abstraction is made and occurrences of the bound variable being replaced by the argument. E.g.

	(\ x . x+1) 4  -->  4+1

Beta reduction is the only kind of reduction in the pure lambda-calculus. The opposite of beta reduction is beta abstraction. These are the two kinds of beta conversion.

beta testing

<programming> Testing a pre-release (potentially unreliable) version of a piece of software by making it available to selected users. This term derives from early 1960s terminology for product cycle checkpoints, first used at IBM but later standard throughout the industry.

"Alpha test" was the unit, module, or component test phase; "Beta Test" was initial system test. These themselves came from earlier A- and B-tests for hardware. The A-test was a feasibility and manufacturability evaluation done before any commitment to design and development. The B-test was a demonstration that the engineering model functioned as specified. The C-test (corresponding to today's beta) was the B-test performed on early samples of the production design.

An item "in beta test" is thus mostly working but still under test. In the Real World, systems (hardware or software) often go through two stages of release testing: Alpha (in-house) and Beta (out-house?). Beta releases are generally made available to a small number of lucky (or unlucky), trusted customers.

(1996-11-05)

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beta version

beta testing

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Nearby terms: Betamaxed « beta reduction « beta testing « beta version » Bezier » Bezier curve » Bezier surface