Procrustean assignment

noun

A form of assignment to fixed-length string variables in which a shorter value is padded to the necessary length while a longer one is truncated.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounProcrustean assignment (uncountable)
  1. datedrareuncountablecomputingA form of assignment to fixed-length string variables in which a shorter value is padded to the necessary length while a longer one is truncated.

    Because the T/S uses procrustean assignment for string arrays, there are some uses for single-element arrays.

    1985, Sharon Zardetto Aker, T/S 2068 basics and beyond, page 38
    2 more examples

    […]the string that is being assigned to it is cut off on the right if it is too long, or filled out with spaces if it is too short - this is called Procrustean assignment[…]

    1982, Steven Vickers, Robin Bradbeer, Sinclair ZX Spectrum: BASIC Programming

    […] that Procrustean assignment that the Manual goes on about: string arrays always have a fixed length of word.

    1983, Ian Stewart, Robin Jones, Machine code and better BASIC, page 51

Origin

After the legendary highwayman Procrustes, who stretched or cut his victims to make them fit a bed.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Procrustean assignment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Procrustean%20assignment

MLA

“Procrustean assignment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Procrustean%20assignment. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Procrustean assignment,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Procrustean%20assignment.

Source: Procrustean assignment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.