The use of execution time diagnostics in pinpointing ambiguities in decision tables is discussed. It is pointed out that any attempt at resolving ambiguities at compile time will, in general, be impossible. It is shown that, as a consequence, tree methods of converting decision tables to programs are inadequate in regard to ambiguity detection. Two algorithms for programming decision tables whose merits are simplicity of implementation and detection of ambiguities at execution time are presented. The first algorithm is for limited entry decision tables and clarifies the importance of proper coding of the information in the decision table. The second algorithm programs a mixed entry decision table directly without going through the intermediate step of conversion to a limited entry form, thereby resulting in storage economy. A comparison of the algorithms and others proposed in the literature is made. Some features of a decision table to FORTRAN IV translator for the IBM 7044 developed by the authors are given.KEY WORDS AND PHRASES: decision tobies, diagnostic aids, system analysis, business applications

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Today's networks discriminate towards or against traffic for a wide range of reasons, and in response end users and their applications increasingly attempt to evade monitoring and control, resulting in an ongoing tussle whose roots run deep. In this work we explore an architectural paradigm that can accommodate such tussles in a systematic and transparent fashion. The key idea at the core of our design is strongly typed networking: the notion that application messages contain type information that fully describes the content being transferred. Our framework allows for transparency between parties which then leads to dialog and choice for both users and service providers. While in the early stages, we provide a possible framework for directly addressing the tussle between end users and "the network" without resorting to an ever-increasing degree of obfuscation and inference.