1 02/03/84  unique_chars_
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 4 Entry points in unique_chars_:
 5    (List is generated by the help command)
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 8 :Entry: unique_chars_: 02/03/84  unique_chars_
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11 Function: provides a character-string representation of a bit string.
12 If the bit string is supplied by the unique_bits_ subroutine, this
13 character string is unique among all character strings generated in
14 this manner in the history of this Multics installation and is
15 therefore useful as an identifier.
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18 Syntax:
19 declare unique_chars_ entry (bit(*)) returns (char(15));
20 char_string = unique_chars_ (bits);
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23 Arguments:
24 char_string
25    is a unique character string.  (Output)
26 bits
27    is a bit string of up to 70 bits.  (Input) See "Notes" below.
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30 Notes:  If the bits argument is less than 70 bits in length,
31 unique_chars_ pads it with zeros on the right to produce a 70-bit
32 string.  If the bits argument equals zero, unique_chars_ calls
33 unique_bits_ to obtain a unique bit string.
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35 The first character in the character string produced is always an
36 exclamation point to identify the string as a unique identifier.  The
37 remaining 14 characters that form the unique identifier are
38 alphanumeric, excluding vowels.