Talk:Stack machine

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[edit] So what's a stack machine?

As far as I can gather, a stack machine is essentially a computer without general-purpose storage registers by using stacks in their place? If so, the article should put this up front as it would be the most clear explanation. If not...well, then I don't get it. --Apantomimehorse 09:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Could you clarify what you think is unclear? I think the intro already states what you just wrote in the very first sentences. — Tobias Bergemann 12:42, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Please support the contention that "two-stack" machines are more prelevant.

I just upgraded the skecpticism tag from "citation needed" to "dubious."

One-stack machines include x86 (8086 through Core 2), Power PC, M68000, SPARC, and MIPS architectures. This covers "most" of todays machines easily. so where are the "two-stack" machines? Yes, these are not "pure" stack machines, as they have resisters in addition to stacks, but they still fundamentally use stacks.

Note that the ability to switch between multiple stacks quickly is a hallmark of a "one-stack" architecture. do not confuse this with a two-stack architecture.

From the article:

"A machine using processor registers for operands can easily simulate a stack machine."

From this text in the article it's clear to me that neither of the above mentioned processors are defined as stack machines, even though they implement a stack. If this is false, then we need to change the definition of what a stack machine is. Pipatron 09:46, 30 November 2006 (UTC)