Programmer's conundrums

der Mouse wrote: I'm reminded (massively OT) of a modified version of the Wilson Preselector gearbox, adapted for racing in (IIRC) the 1930s. The Wilson Preselector allowed you to select a gear, and then would change to that gear when you pressed a pedal - not the clutch pedal, but its equivalent. The modified version would, when reset, select first from neutral. On pressing the pedal, it would engage first and then select second, ready for you pressing the pedal again. Then it would engage second and select third, and again from third to fourth. Once the gearbox had fourth engaged, it would select third again, and then back to fourth. So once you'd got moving you'd just press the pedal to change down, and press again to change back up. If you wanted second or first, you just chose it manually. An early (mechanical) example of what we now do with huge amounts of overcomplicated electrickery. Gordon.