Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ukma!xanth!mcnc!ecsvax.uncecs.edu!utoddl
From: utoddl@uncecs.edu (Todd M. Lewis)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: This one bit me today
Summary: lighten up
Message-ID: <1989Oct12.122841.22514@uncecs.edu>
Date: 12 Oct 89 12:28:41 GMT
References: <2432@hub.UUCP> <568@sppy00.UUCP> <750@philmtl.philips.ca> <267@wsl.UUCP>
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 26



[lots of ragging some guy for pointing out a weakness in
  C's grammar deleted]

Jeepers, folks, lighten up.  The poor guy just said that C
has some sharp corners and pointed one out.  One of my favorite
is this:
   if (a=b) { ...
I used to spend about an hour per program tracking down this
little beauty.  But that's not the point.
   The point is that certain pitfalls are inherent in the
language grammer.  Be aware of them.  And, no, it isn't good
enough to say, "Sure it has sharp edges, you just have to
be careful how you use it."  If C were a kitchen appliance
it would be taken off the market due to excessive domestic
carnage.  If you can avoid putting similar pitfalls in your
own products, so much the better.  (I especially liked the
attitude of the guy how thought his customers idiots because
they found his product difficult to use:-)
_____        
  |      Todd M. Lewis            Disclaimer: If you want my employer's
  ||\/|  utoddl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu             ideas, you'll have to
  ||  || utoddl@ecsvax.bitnet                 _buy_ them. 
   |  ||     
       |___   ("Prgrms wtht cmmnts r lk sntncs wtht vwls." --TML)