BDS Software

Computer Magazine Databases Project

This is a continuing project (in progress) - I'm still adding information to the databases. Also, this is a background priority for me - I'm only working on this project in between other stuff.

Each of the following databases represents a collection of magazine articles related to the computer or software indicated:

     Arduino.zip      Status: Just Started;     Records: 113;     Last Update: 2023/11/28.  
     CoCo.zip      Status: Stable;     Records: 3,677;     Last Update: 2021/07/17.  
     Forth.zip      Status: 85% complete;     Records: 761;     Last Update: 2021/02/14.  
     FPGA.zip      Status: Just Started;     Records: 2;     Last Update: 2021/02/17.  
     Linux.zip      Status: Just Started;     Records: 4;     Last Update: 2021/02/23.  
     RPi.zip      Status: Current;     Records: 2,745;     Last Update: 2024/07/06.  
     General.zip      Status: Just Started;     Records: 244;     Last Update: 2021/05/03.  

In all of these cases, the database is NOT (and never will be) a comprehensive index. These are my personal databases, and they only catalog articles which are of personal interest to me.

HOWEVER, they could be useful to you as a foundation upon which to build your own personal databases; by adding entries for articles which are of personal interest to YOU. You can add to them, subtract from them, or change them however you see fit.

Also, since my interests are somewhat eclectic, you may find that a good portion of what interests you has already been cataloged.

Naturally, as in any project of this magnitude, errors and omissions are bound to occur. If you come across any, I'd appreciate your letting me know about them so I can make suitable corrections.

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Sections of this page:

Database Design
Idiosyncrasies
Categories
Column Names and Other Abbreviations
Magazine Source Locations

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Coverage:

Arduino.zip primarily covers Academia, Elektor Magazine, Full Circle Magazine, Make Magazine, and micro:mag; along with some entries from the RPi database.

CoCo.zip primarily covers CoCo~123, CoCo Friends Disk magazine, Color Computer Magazine, Gamers Connection, Hot CoCo,

The Rainbow, and parts of 80 Micro; with bits and pieces of Byte Magazine, Creative Computing, Dr. Dobb's Journal,
and Forth Dimensions.

Forth.zip primarily covers FORML, Forth Dimensions, and the Rochester Conferences (JFAR).

FPGA.zip primarily covers Embedded Magazine and the Xcell Journal.

Linux.zip primarily covers the Linux Journal, and SysAdmin Magazine.

RPi.zip primarily covers Custom PC, HackSpace, Hello World, The MagPi, and WireFrame.

General.zip primarily covers 80 Micro, Byte Magazine, C++ Users Journal, Creative Computing, Dr. Dobb's Journal, and The Perl Journal.

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Status Indicators:
Just Started - The skeleton and backbone of the database are complete, but little or no data has been entered yet.
Current - Some or all of the magazines are in current production. All issues up to the "Last Update" date have been cataloged.
Stable - All of the magazines (with minor exceptions) have ceased production. Essentially all issues have been cataloged.

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The databases are all Microsoft Access 2010 databases. You will generally need a copy of Microsoft Access in order to use these databases. If you get or have a newer (than 2010) copy of Access, it may translate the database into its own format - this is normal. If you have a copy of Microsoft Access which is older than 2010, it will not be able to use these databases.

For your convenience, a .csv text version is also included in packages which have a significant percentage of completion.

If you just want to look at the database entries without changing anything, just open the .csv file in Notebook, LeafPad, or some other text viewer. MS Excel also works with the .csv files. Other spreadsheets may as well. I have not had good results with the free Microsoft Access Viewer.

If you wish, you could also use the Access To MySQL conversion tool, or the Access To SQLite conversion tool, or something similar for whichever DBMS (Data Base Management System) you have. I have not tested any of these; proceed at your own risk.

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Database Design

I have a Masters Degree in Computer Science and, over the years, I've built many commercial, industrial, and governmental quality databases in MS Access, MySQL, SQlite, MS SQL Server, postgreSQL, Oracle, and DB2. I know all the rules of proper database design and normalization...

For this project, I've chosen to ignore most of those rules.

What I need (and what I suspect you might yourselves prefer) is a simple system which is easy to use and easy to maintain.

Each database consists of one table and five queries. The Table Fields are:

    ID     AutoNumber     Long Integer  
    ArticleName     Text     255  
    Category1     Text     255  
    Category2     Text     255  
    Magazine     Text     255  
    Volume     Number     Long Integer  
    Number     Number     Long Integer  
    Page     Number     Long Integer  
    MagMonth     Number     Long Integer  
    MagYear     Number     Long Integer  
    Comment     Memo     --  

The five queries are:

ArticleNameSearch - Selects records whose ArticleName Field contains a word or phrase you specify.

Category1Query - The entire table in Category1 order.

Category2Query - The entire table in Category2 order.

CommentQuery - Selects records whose Comment Field contains a word or phrase you specify.

MagOrderQuery - The entire table in Magazine Name order.

You'll note that the tables don't include fields for Author Name, Publisher, Address, etc., etc. If I need any of that information, I'll simply look it up in the magazine issue in question.

You'll also note that, except for the ArticleNameSearch and the CommentQuery, the queries don't isolate any records. I simply scan down the list until I come to the entry I'm looking for: they're all in alphanumeric order at that point.

For example, if I'm looking for articles about Mathematics, I'll do a Category1Query and scan down the list until I come to the "Math" entries in the Category1 Field. Then, I'll do a Category2Query and scan down the list until I come to the "Math" entries in the Category2 Field.

One of the costs of the simplicity of these databases is the need to check both category fields, because a given entry may appear in either field. For example, for one record, Category1 may be "Math" and Category2 may be "CoCo". Yet, for another record, Category1 may be "Assembly" and Category2 may be "Math".

Occasionally, a record will require more than two categories. When it does, I simply commit the cardinal sin of duplicating the record, resulting in (OH! The HORROR of it all!) two records containing the same data. In formal database work, this is bad because if something needs to be changed, you might change it in one record and forget to change it in the other. This project is not that mission-critical. I'll simply fix any such errors when and if I come across them.

In a similar fashion, it would be formally correct to provide a separate table of category entries to minimize the possibility of spelling errors. Built-in traps for such errors on entry would also be provided. In this project, such errors will simply appear out of order in the Category queries and will then be corrected forthwith. (For a list of the Categories I use, see below).

What appears in the ArticleName Fields of the databases does not always match the actual article name in the publication: I use whatever wording will be clearest and easiest to understand, and which will do the best job of directing me to the articles I'm looking for.

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Idiosyncrasies

Some magazines are identified by month and year, but not by volume and number. Conversely, some are identified by volume and number, but not by month and year. Some magazines (especially in the HTML only collections) do not specify page numbers. Wherever Volume, Number, Page, MagMonth, or MagYear data is missing or unavailable, I either insert the value 0 (zero), or I leave the field blank.

Some magazines are published quarterly rather than monthly. For such, I use "month" numbers: Spring = 13, Summer = 14, Fall = 15, and Winter = 16.

Some MC6809 articles are included in the CoCo.zip database even where the MC6809 is not in a CoCo.

Generally, Micro:Bit articles and other microcontroller articles are included in the Arduino.zip database.

Generally, UNIX and XENIX articles are included in the Linux.zip database.

FYI: Some of the items which I specifically do NOT try to index are articles specific to Apple, AIX, C# (because I just don't like it), Cisco, Flash (because it's a security risk), Fortran, Java (because it's a security risk), Oracle, Palm and Palm OS, Pocket PC, Red Hat, Solaris, Sun Systems, Windows CE, and Y2K (because that concern is SO over).

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Categories

3DPrint = 3D Printers and Printing

Adventure = Adventure Games (Usually Text-Only)

AdventureDesign

AdventureGraphic = Adventure Games with Graphics

AI = Artificial Intelligence

Algorithms

Arcade = Arcade Games

Arduino = Arduino, Micro:Bit, and other microcontroller Articles outside of the Arduino.zip database

Assembly = Assembly, Disassembly, and Machine Language

Astronomy

Audio = Speech and organized sounds, other than Music

Backup

BASH = Bourne Again Shell (Linux)

BASIC = The BASIC Programming Language

BDS = BDS Software Articles

Benchmarks

Bluetooth = Short-range wireless technology

Business

ButtonsAndSwitches = Buttons and Switches (Mostly in the Arduino and RPi databases)

C = The C Programming Language

C# = The C# Programming Language (Only where absolutely necessary - Boo! Hiss!)

C++ = The C++ Programming Language

CAD = Computer-Aided Design

Case = Case Statements in Forth

CF83 = BDS Software's 83-Standard Forth for the Color Computer

Chess

CircuitPython = The CircuitPython Programming Language

Classes = Classes, Objects, etc.

Client/Server = Client/Server Models and Operations

Clocks

Cluster = Computer Clusters, e.g. a cluster of eight interconnected Raspberry Pi 4 computers

CoCo = Color Computer Articles outside of the CoCo.zip database

CommandLine

Communications = Serial, Parallel, SSH, etc.

Compilers = Compilers and Decompilers

Compression = Data Compression and Decompression

ControlStructures

Corrections

Cryptography

Database

DataStructures

Debian = The Flavor of Linux I Use

Debugging

Documentation - Guides, Manuals, and other files describing a piece of hardware or software

DragonsByte = A Fantasy Game Column

Editor = Text Editors, IDEs, etc.

Education

Electronics

Email = Email Systems

Embedded = Embedded Systems

Emulator = Emulators and Simulators, etc.

Encryption = Encryption and Security

Execution = Execution Mechanisms in Forth

ExternalDevices = Resistors, Capacitors, Controllers, etc.

Files

Filters

Fonts

Forth = Forth Articles outside of the Forth.zip database

FPGA = Field Programmable Gate Array Articles outside of the FPGA.zip database

FRP = Fantasy Role Playing

FSM = Finite State Machines

Game

GameBBS = Games on Bulletin Board Systems

GameDesign

GameHelp = Helps for Gameplay

GIS = Geographical Information Systems

GMApprentice = Game Master's Apprentice, A Fantasy Game Column

Graphics

GTK = A widget toolkit for creating GUIs

GUI = Graphical User Interfaces

Hardware

HATs = Hardware Attached on Top (Mostly for RPi)

Hints = Hints, Tips, and Tricks

HomeSystems = Lighting control, security camera access, etc.

I/O

IDE = Integrated Development Environment

Images

Internal = System Internals

Interrupts

IoT = Internet of Things

JavaScript

KJV = BDS Software's King James Version of the Bible on Color Computer Disks

Languages = Programming Dialects and Languages other than Assembly, BASIC, C, C#, C++, CircuitPython, plain Forth, JavaScript, MicroPython, PygameZero, Python, or Scratch

LaserCutting = Laser Cutting and Laser Cutters

LEDs = Light-Emitting Diodes

LEGODevices = LEGO electronic bricks, pieces, etc.

Linux = Linux, UNIX, and Xenix Articles outside of the Linux.zip database

Logic = Electronic logic devices such as gates; generally a Semiconductor Device (not a Memory Device) having the primary function of computing and/or otherwise processing instructions

Maint = Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair

Make = Make and Makefile Software Tools

Math

Memory

MicroBit = The timy BBC micro:bit microcontroller

MicroPython = The MicroPython Programming Language

Misc = Miscellaneous Articles, not otherwise classifiable

Motors

Music

Network = Nets and Networking

NitrOS-9 = A CoCo3 Operating System

OpSys = Operating Systems other than Linux

Optimize = Optimization

OS9 = The OS/9 Operating System, primarily as for the Color Computer

PCBs = Printed Circuit Boards

Photography

Physics

Pico = The Raspberry Pi Pico and Pico W microcontrollers

PowerSupply = Power Supply (generally as stepped-down from 125 VAC)

Print = Printers and Printing

Programming = General Programming

Publish = Desktop Publishing

Puzzle

PuzzleDesign

PygameZero = The PygameZero Game Design Programming Language

Python

R&C = Received and Certified

Radio

Random = Random Numbers and Generators

Recursion

Retro = Devices and Systems which are imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past

Review = Software and other product reviews

Robotics

Rocketry = Amateur and Model Rocketry

RPi = Raspberry Pi Articles outside of the RPi.zip database

Science = Science, Engineering, etc.

Scratch = The Scratch Block-Style Programming Language

Searching

Security

Sensors

Serial = RS-232 and other Serial Port Devices and Circuits

Simulation = Software Simulations (e.g. Games that model reality)

SimulationDesign

Sorting

Sound = Sound Effects (e.g. disorganized sounds)

Sports

Spreadsheets

Stacks = Stacks in Forth

Statistics = Probability and Statistics

Storage

StringProcessing = String and Text Processing

Strings

Subroutine = Subroutines, Functions, Macros, and Modules, etc.

SysAdmin = Systems Administration

Tkinter

Tools = Tools other than Makefile Tools

USB

Utility

Variables

VersionControl

Video

Weather = Weather Stations and Related Hardware and Software

Web = The Web, HTML, the Internet, Intranets, etc.

WiFi = Wireless Networking

WordP = Word Processors

Words = Forth Colon Definitions, i.e. Words

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Column Names and Other Abbreviations

In the ArticleName Fields of these databases, in order to save typing time and effort, I use various abbreviations for recurring magazine column names and often reappearing words and phrases. These abbreviations are:

16S - 16-Bit Software Toolbox; Dr. Dobb's Journal

AA - Algorithm Alley; Dr. Dobb's Journal

AB - Ask Byte (Not Ciarcia); Byte Magazine

ABC - Ask Byte (Ciarcia); Byte Magazine

AC - Assembly Corner; Rainbow Magazine

AL - Assembly Line; 80 Micro Magazine

ALG - Algorithma: A Monthly Algorithms Column; Dr. Dobb's Journal

AOP - Art of Programming; 80 Micro Magazine

ATD - Ask The Doctor; Forth Dimensions

ATF - At The Forge; Linux Journal

BB - Basic Beat; Hot CoCo

BD - Beyond DOS; Byte Magazine

BOB - Best Of Bix; Byte Magazine

BS - Basically Speaking; Rainbow Magazine

BT - Basic Training; Rainbow Magazine

BTA - Basic Takes; 80 Micro Magazine

CC - CoCo Consultations; Rainbow Magazine

CCA - C Cave; MagPi Magazine

CCC - Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar; Byte Magazine

CCF - Circuit Cellar Feedback; Byte Magazine

CCH - C Chest; Dr. Dobb's Journal

CLC - Command Line Clinic; MagPi Magazine

CLP - Command Line Pi; MagPi Magazine

CM - Copernica Mathematica; 80 Micro Magazine

CP - C Programming; Dr. Dobb's Journal

CS - C#; MagPi Magazine

CUP - C/UNIX Programmer's Notebook; Dr. Dobb's Journal

CWL - Cooking With Linux; Linux Journal

DA - Dr. ASCII; Rainbow Magazine and Hot CoCo

DB - Debian; MagPi Magazine

DC - Doctor C's Pointers; C/C++ User's Journal

DS - Data Structures; Byte Magazine

EA - Elmer's Arcade; Hot CoCo

EC - Effective Concurrency; Dr. Dobb's Journal

ECB - Extended Color BASIC (CoCo)

EE - Everyday Engineering; Mag Pi Magazine

EMBS - Embedded Spaces; Dr. Dobb's Journal

ER - Examining Room; Dr. Dobb's Journal

ES - External Storage; MagPi Magazine

ESG - Economy Size Geek; Linux Journal

FB - Fuze Basic; MagPi Magazine

FH - Fun House; 80 Micro Magazine

FOA - Focus On Algorithms; Byte Magazine

FRP - Fantasy Role Playing; Rainbow Magazine

GA - Gamemaster's Apprentice; Rainbow Magazine

GRP - Graphics Programming; Dr. Dobb's Journal

GS - Graphically Speaking; Hot CoCo

GWP - Games We Play; Linux Journal

GYG - Get Your Game On; Linux Journal

HAS - Hack And /; Linux Journal

HRD - Hacking the Raspberry Desktop; MagPi Magazine

HTC - How To Do It In C; C/C++ User's Journal

HTS - How To Solve It; Creative Computing

IC - In Control; MagPi Magazine

ICG - Intelligent Computer Games; Creative Computing

KK - Kernel Korner; Linux Journal

LAB - Letters and Ask Byte; Byte Magazine

LI - Lego Interface; MagPi Magazine

LP - Logi Pi; MagPi Magazine

LPH - Linux Programming Hints; Linux Journal

LSA - Linux System Administration; Linux Journal

MGP - Make Games With Python; MagPi Magazine

MR - Mathematical Recreations; Byte Magazine

NCPP - The New C++; Dr. Dobb's Journal

NN - Novice's Niche; Rainbow Magazine

OHL - OS-9 Hotline; Rainbow Magazine

OOF - Object-Oriented Forth

PARP - Paranoid Penguin; Linux Journal

PB - PiBot; MagPi Magazine

PC - Pi Lite = Physical Computing; MagPi Magazine

PP - Python Pit; MagPi Magazine

PPF - Puzzles and Problems for Fun; Creative Computing

PPP - Programming Pastimes and Pleasures; Dr. Dobb's Journal

PRP - Programming Paradigms; Dr. Dobb's Journal

PRT - Programmer's ToolChest - Dr. Dobb's Journal

PS - Packet Sniffing; MagPi Magazine

PT Programming Techniques; Creative Computing

PT3 - Programming Tips, Tricks, and Traps; Rainbow Magazine

PW - Programmers Workbench; Dr. Dobb's Journal

QA - Questions and Answers; C/C++ User's Journal

RF - Reader's Forum; Hot CoCo

RSM - Remote Sensor Monitoring; MagPi Magazine

RWA - Real World Applications; Hot CoCo

SAR - Some Assembly Required; Byte Magazine

SB - Soft Bits, 80 Micro Magazine

SC - Software Corner; Byte Magazine

SK - Skutter; MagPi Magazine

SP - Scratch Patch; MagPi Magazine

SPR - Short Programs; Creative Computing

STC - Standard C; C/C++ User's Journal

STP - Structured Programming; Dr. Dobb's Journal

TAL - The Assembly Line; Rainbow Magazine

TC - Take Command; Linux Journal

TCE - The Cutting Edge; Linux Journal

TL - Topics In Logic; Creative Computing

TOTS - Turn Of The Screw; Rainbow Magazine

TQA - Technical Questions and Answers; Rainbow Magazinw

TSC - Thinking Strategies with the Computer; Creative Computing

TT - Tech Tips; Dr. Dobb's Journal

TTGV - Tech Tips with Gnull and Voyd; Linux Journal

UB - Unix /bin; Byte Magazine

UC - Undocumented Corner; Dr. Dobb's Journal

UE - UNIX Exchange; Dr. Dobb's Journal

UTH - Under The Hood; Byte Magazine

WG - What's GNU?; Linux Journal

WTS - Work The Shell; Linux Journal

* - In Comments Field = an article of special interest to me

** - In Comments Field = an article of particularly special interest to me

*** - In Comments Field = an article of great special interest to me

**** - In Comments Field = an article of exceeding special interest to me

***** - In Comments Field = an article of most special interest to me

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Magazine Source Locations

Downsizing is a way of life at my age: I can't devote room in the house to a magazine collection. Therefore, except where otherwise indicated, I'm only cataloging articles from computer magazines which are available free and online. Also except where otherwise indicated, the magazines are all downloadable .pdf files. The magazine source locations are:

80 Micro Magazine
--- http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

Academia Arduino Articles
--- https://www.academia.edu/people/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Arduino

Byte Magazine
--- https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine?&sort=date

C/C++ Users Journal
--- https://collaboration.cmc.ec.gc.ca/science/rpn/biblio/ddj/Website/forms/left.htm - HTML Only.

As of 2021/07/20, this link appears to be defunct. Another source might be: http://ftp.math.utah.edu/pub/tex/bib/toc/cccuj.html

CoCo~123
--- Back Issues http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/
--- Current Issues http://www.glensideccc.com/

CoCo Friends Disk Magazine (CFDM)
--- http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

Color Computer Magazine
--- http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

Custom PC
--- https://custompc.raspberrypi.com/issues

As of 2023/11/28, publication of Custom PC has been discontinued,
and this site has converted to the display of web articles only.
The site appears to no longer provide any links to past issues.
I have also not been able to find any back issues on the Internet Archive.

Creative Computing
--- https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing?&sort=date

Dr. Dobb's Journal
--- 1976-1990: https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22People%27s+Computer+Company%22&sort=-date
--- 1988-2008: https://collaboration.cmc.ec.gc.ca/science/rpn/biblio/ddj/Website/forms/left.htm - HTML Only.

As of 2021/07/20, this link appears to be defunct. I have not as yet discovered any viable alternate link.

--- 2008-2019: http://www.drdobbs.com/articles/archives?startAt=10 - HTML Only.

To use this latter site, you must have a free account. But the account signup wasn't working as of 2019/03/31. But if you establish an account at InfoWeek that account seems to work on the Dr. Dobb's site as well.

Elektor Magazine Arduino Articles
--- https://www.elektormagazine.com/tags/arduino

Embedded Magazine
--- https://www.xilinx.com/publications/archives/magazines/emb01.pdf and emb02.pdf, emb03.pdf, & emb05.pdf

Forth Dimensions
--- https://archive.org/details/forthdimension

Forth Modification Laboratory (FORML) Conference Proceedings
--- These are not available online. I'm obtaining copies from various libraries via InterLibrary Loans. Progress has been rather slow due to Covid and Libraries' reluctance to provide interlibrary loans during this period.

Full Circle Magazine Arduino Articles
--- https://fullcirclemagazine.org/tag/arduino/

Gamers Connection
--- http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

Hackspace
--- https://hackspace.raspberrypi.org/issues

Hello World Magazine
--- https://helloworld.raspberrypi.org/issues

Hot CoCo
--- http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

Journal of Forth Application and Research (JFAR), i.e. The Rochester Conferences
--- https://www.forth.com/forth-books/jfar-archives/

Linux Journal (Complete Run)
--- 1994/03-2005/03: https://archive.org/download/linuxjournalpdfcollection/PDFs/Linux%20Journal%20issues%201-131%20PDFs.tar.xz
--- 2005/04-2019/08: https://archive.org/download/linuxjournalpdfcollection/PDFs/Linux%20Journal%20issues%20132-301%20PDFs.tar.xz

Make Magazine Arduino Articles
--- https://makezine.com/category/technology/arduino/

MagPi Magazine
--- https://www.raspberrypi.org/magpi/issues/

Micro:mag Magazine
--- https://micromag.cc/issues/

Perl Journal
--- https://collaboration.cmc.ec.gc.ca/science/rpn/biblio/ddj/Website/forms/left.htm - HTML Only.

As of 2021/07/20, this link appears to be defunct. I have not as yet discovered any viable alternate link.

Proceedings of the Rochester Forth Applications
--- You'll have to search the web individually - some may be available for download; others may not.

Rainbow Magazine
--- http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

SysAdmin
--- https://collaboration.cmc.ec.gc.ca/science/rpn/biblio/ddj/Website/forms/left.htm - HTML Only.

As of 2021/07/20, this link appears to be defunct. I have not as yet discovered any viable alternate link.

WireFrame
--- https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org/issues

As of 2023/11/28, publication of Wireframe has been discontinued,
and this site has converted to the display of web articles only.
The site appears to no longer provide any links to past issues.
But some issues appear to be available by going to the Internet Archive and searching on the term "Wireframe" (without the quotes).

Xcell Journal
--- https://www.xilinx.com/publications/archives/xcell/Xcell1.pdf through Xcell94.pdf

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