Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!astroatc.UUCP!tenaglia
From: tenaglia@astroatc.UUCP (Chris Tenaglia)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.icon
Subject: (none)
Message-ID: <8908311505.AA03653@astroatc.UUCP>
Date: 31 Aug 89 15:05:57 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: inet
Organization: The Internet
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Dear Icon_Group,

Here at Astronautics in Milwaukee we have ICON on VAX/VMS, Unix Workstations
and superminis, and MS-DOS PCs. We have found it very portable. I'd like to
flame a little on the matter.

1. Under VAX/VMS it provides some unix/shell like functionality. For instance
   a generic filter can be written and the output redirected such as follows,
   $ iconx filter <input_file >outputfile. You can also open a process for
   read or write like a file using 'open' with the "pr" or "pw" option.

2. Icon is fairly quick and easy to learn. It is a very rich language that can
   be used in very creative fashions. In the projects we've done, we had to
   agree on rules of style and complexity to keep the code maintainable. Icon
   styles can be in the spirit of pascal, or lisp, or c, or ada, etc,...
   We save the clever stuff for our personal research and utilities. Best of
   all icon doesn't violate structured programming rules by implementing a
   "goto" statement like BASIC, C, FORTRAN, PASCAL, or ADA. Another great
   feature is that all of it's functions return something useful, not just a
   0 or 1 or -1 or a pointer. This makes everything 'fit' together well.

3. It's in the public domain. There are commercial versions beginning to
   appear. I think the demand for native mode compilers will drive this,
   and I think it is OK if the Icon-Project wants it to be this way. I think
   the public domain nature of the language is fantastic. It's what I used
   to get my company to obtain it.

4. Disadvantages...  (Playing the devils advocate)
   To be fair I've included what I consider to be disadvantages as well. First
   is that is can be slow since it doesn't generate optimized pure executables.
   This is especially true on VAX/VMS on an 11/780 or weaker CPU.
   The greatest disadvantage is it spoils you after a time. When you return to
   some of the old languages like BASIC, FORTRAN, PASCAL, or C they seem so
   awkward(BASIC,FORTRAN), cryptic(C), and nitpicky(PASCAL,ADA) you dread
   having to come back.

5. Useful work done with ICON here includes such things as ...
   a. Personal databases.
   b. BASIC style line editor for hardcopy or graphics devices.
   c. PLM to C source language transmogrifier.
   d. Numerous file translation/conversion tools.
   e. Graphics interface and programs using unix 'plot'.
   f. VAX System Mgt report generators using the accounting data.
   g. Unix System management utilities and reports.

Chris Tenaglia
Astronautics Corporation of America
4115 N. Teutonia Avenue
Milwaukee, Wi 53209 USA
(414) 447-8200 X-421