Architecturally Neutral Distribution Format
What goes around comes around...
23 years ago I worked with a DRA project that was defining an Architecturally Neutral Distribution Format for compilers to target, to allow generation of common object files that could execute on any machine architecture via a machine/architecture specific translator. The project was trying to reduce the complexity of specifying, provisioning and maintaining huge number of applications running across a wide range of machine architectures. It died a death due to the rise of Java, which promised to do much of the same thing with the jvm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_Neutral_Distribution_Format
Not sure which iteration this is on the path to the promised land, but I'm guessing not the last.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
