Method for controlling the comparison to be effected between reference logical entities and logical entities issuing from a file

摘要

A method and system of selecting items of data from a stream of information by comparing the information to reference data. The reference data items are recorded in the form of logical entities in a two dimensional memory table. The reference logical entities of different types are stored vertically in different horizontal zones of the table in the order in which the entities of the same type are found in the file. In a control memory are stored, line-by-line, control information which specify the comparisons to be made between the reference logical entities and logical entities which are received from the file, as well as control information related to storage of logical entities received from the file and of operations including comparisons and storage between comparison results and other data contained in the table and information related to the linkage of processes for each control line of the control memory or from one control line to another. The method includes the steps of storing in each line of the control memory a data field specifying the existence of instruction loops and memorizing the number of beginnings and ends of loops to be executed. During execution of the method, the number of beginning loop operations and end loop operations is counted and compared to expected results which has been previously memorized. The comparison determines whether to continue looping or to restart at an immediate outer loop or to jump to another location on the same line of the control memory for execution of consecutive processing.