The invention is related to coding and decoding data, more particularly in microwave radio link systems. According to the invention, the sequence of data to be encoded at a transmitting end is split into at least two blocks, if the sequence is longer than a first predetermined length M. The splitting is performed so that the length first block is equal to the first predetermined length M. If the remaining sequence is shorter than a second predetermined length N, the second block comprises all of the remaining sequence. If the remaining sequence is longer than the second predetermined length N, the length of the second block is found by subtracting from the length of the remaining sequence the highest integer multiple of the second predetermined length, and the rest of the sequence is split into blocks of length N. If the sequence is shorter than the first predetermined length M, only one block is produced, and the sequence is padded with dummy values to form a sequence of length M. If the sequence is exactly M units long, the first and in that case the only block comprises the whole sequence. The blocks are then separately encoded with the desired coding function.

A reservations system for hotel chains in which matrix arrays defining maximum rooms for sale, protected inventory, and matrices derived from these two, all by room-type/rate-category combinations. The system provides for generalized control of inventory for sale for an arbitrary number of room-types, rate-categories, etc. The system also allows blocking or protecting inventory by rate-category, room-type, or any combination. The system of the invention allows for either a central or a distributed view of inventory, and allows inventory to be controlled by the property and sold at any location without over-selling. The system of the invention provides the level of control necessary to handle the four major inventory control strategies that the hotel industry will likely require over the next ten years: total control centrally, central indicators and distributed inventory, totally distributed inventory, or a mixed mode of operation utilizing any combination of central or distributed inventory. In each case, the system of the invention provide a common, effective and complete solution.

A data flow type information processor includes a program storing portion, a data pair producing portion and a processing portion. In the data flow type information processor in executing a data flow program having a loop structure, a function for synchronizing with all of loop variables, that is, function for assuring that the value of all of the loop variables are determined in a loop execution stage to be considered, is applied to a group of instruction information for determining a loop termination.

In information retrieval system includes a help feature, wherein a help key on a terminal can be actuated and a host computer responds by determining the identity of a page of basic information being transmitted at the time the help key is operated, determining the location of a page of subsidiary information associated with the currently transmitted page of basic information, and transmitting that associated page of subsidiary information to the terminal for display thereby. A system guide aspect enables the system to provide guide information adapted to assist in the use of other data subgroups. A bookmark facility involves the use of a mark request key on the terminal and a mark record device operable in response to the actuation of the mark request key to create a record of the storage location of the one of the pages being transmitted to the terminal for display thereby at the time of such actuation. A search request key on the terminal enable transmission of a search request to the host computer.

A document retrieval system which includes a keyword connection table making section, a document accuracy calculating section, a document sorting section and a learning control section. The document accuracy calculating section calculates a document accuracy for each of the output documents in a prescribed manner by reference to a keyword connection table file. The document sorting section sorts the output documents in downward sequential order of the document accuracy. The learning control section serves to modify the weight of each keyword connection in a prescribed manner after the sorted output documents are given responsive to a query by a user, allowing the user make an evaluation on whether each document accuracy of the output documents is in conformity with the query. The document retrieval system is capable of providing the user with multiple choices from a numerical value between 0 and 1 in terms of a real number in making an evaluation on whether each document accuracy of the output documents is actually in conformity with the query.