The Communications Language PEPE # Introduction

Four simple concepts called Push,Pipe,Pull,Pump describe communications components. Lets give a first person description of what the component sees.

• You can push along information that is pushed to you.
• You can push information into a Pipe, expecting it to be pulled out.
• Push models sending information.

• Pipe models storing information.

• You can pull information out, expecting it to have been provided.
• You can pull information in, process it(maybe by leaving it alone), and push the result out.
• Pull models receiving information.

• Pump models processing information.

Doing a small bit of thinking about those four ideas:

• the Pipe, is fully passive, some other component will have to be responsible for moving the information

• the Pump is fully active, having total responsibility for information handling.

• The Push and the Pull extend the reach of the first two.

• This pair can be viewed conceptually as made from the other pair.

• Push looks like Pipe followed by Pump (except it does not have a motive force inside).
• Pull looks like Pump followed by Pipe (except for the lack of a motive force inside).

• You have now seen the fu

The fundamental PEPE equations

There are two:

• h=ep
• l=pe

This tells us that we are only going to need pumps and pipes to build a system, and then think about which parts will need to be active and which passive when operating the system.

Before devising a BUILD language, which surely will be very complex, it might might HELP to list the components in the right order.

• Push
• Pipe
• Pull
• Pump

If you are ready, remember that to construct a written language you typically give the alphabet, a dictionary of the words, which are a selection of strings from the alphabet, and a grammar which shows the syntax for sentences. It is very complicated.

Tne alphabet, dictionary, and grammar for PEPE

alphabet p, e

grammar the letters must alternate.

You now know the entire language.

Samples of PEPE writing

• pep
• epe
• pepe
• epepepe

Style guide for PEPE

Its easy to write a composition of any length:

• Begin with either p or e and the grammar wtakes over.
• Stop when you have the desired length; or you run out of time, or patience, or letters.

It is not very hard to use this language, as there are only two sentences of any particular length, determined by the first letter!

Meaning in PEPE

Oh, I forgot the dictionary:

There are four words:

• h spelled ep, meaning you are Push-ing to them.
• e spelled e, meaning you will just be used (as a Pipe).
• l spelled pe, meaning they are Pull-ing from you.
• p spelled p, meaning you (as a Pump) are going to process something

You may not be used to the fact that the grammar is already determined by the letters used, and you can think afterwards about what the author might have had in mind.

For example I write epepe.

• I might mean exactly that

• maybe I meant lle, ship it off through two links, to be processed
• could I have intended ehh, process it, and then ship it through two links

• maybe I meant leh, ship it to be processed and sent back!

If you meant one of those things you could use words to say so!

This grammar is simple, but it is ambiguous!

We have just learned the entire language PEPE. If you are ready for meaning call for HELP.

Building an actual system from a plan in PEPE

You do not need a plan, just hand the builder a p or an e to start, along with enough supplies.

It is not a joke to make this observation, it is to emphasize that the language describes the abstract structure not because it uses words carefully but because it deliberately leaves out detail that is not directly related to the purpose. It focusses on what has to be done rather than on how it will be done.

Communications infrastructure is frequently revised as decisions are made as to who will do what and where. Remote Processing and Remote Storage possibilities change sometimes faster than the weather, and an ability to decide exceptly where the e and p will be placed determines which parts will serve as h and l. There are details, such as the size of components, and the relationship to the environment where the system will go whichare exceptionally important, but are to be decided after it is understood what the basic structure needs to be. Proper understanding of the basics can have dramatic effects early, and especially later as the network needs to be reconfigured.

The model fits communications infrastructure nicely, especially in empasizing that there may bedescriptions`and even uses you did not anticipate. Communications networks often cross roads, rivers, oceans, and exist in outer space, but they all use versions of the components discussed.

Operating a System built with PEPE

There seems to be a lack of responsibility so far; who sees that all the pushes and pulls are actually done, and done properly in proper synchronizarion?

That is up to the operator, and we will devise a new language, not quite so complex, which will introduce the concepts Accept and Create and will therefore be called ACAC.