Re: What is a "baton" from subversion sources?

On Sat, Feb 12, 2011 at 6:07 AM, Grigory Petrov <grigory.v.p_at_gmail.com>wrote:

> Hello.
>
> I'm learning subversion API right now and examining it's source code and
> examples. It's a lot of things in subversion source code that is called a
> "baton". For example, svn_cmdline_create_auth_baton() create "auth baton",
> and callbacks takes callback function pointer and, again, batons. I never
> heard of a term "baton" related to the programming. That is the "baton"
> concept subversion source code refers to? Maybe i can read somewhere about
> "batons" used in programming? Or is it a well-known term of some origin?
>
> Best,
> Grigory.
>

I don't know about subversion, but I'm guessing the origin of the baton
concept came from the running race [1], where an item is passed from runner
to runner. Historically, this baton would have some information on (or in)
it, that needed to get to its destination quickly.

Not to be confused with baton twirling, though. [2]. :-)

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baton_%28running%29
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baton_twirling
Received on 2011-02-11 21:38:56 CET