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From: wlee@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Wan Ngai Wayne Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: Flammable question
Message-ID: <3017@uwm.edu>
Date: 22 Mar 90 03:39:46 GMT
Sender: news@uwm.edu
Reply-To: wlee@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Wan Ngai Wayne Lee)
Organization: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Lines: 31

In <2747@softway.oz> gary@softway.oz (Gary Corby) writes
> ... what do you have to say about Pascal, or Ada?

They @#$%, especially ADA.

>There are still some systems around that need every CPU
>cycle squeezed from them, but they are now the vast
>minority.

That's not true.  I can bet that at least users of
MCU and MPU controlled medical, military and space systems
want "every CPU cycle squeezed from them".  There are tons of
these systems out there.  Also, in the RISCs, a cycle is
to valuable to be wasted.

>If your application is too slow on a Z80
>processor, go buy a 386 box.

How much is a 386 compare to a Z80?  The Z80 is less then
a buck in the US in OEM quantity.

>This doesn't mean I condone
>sloppy programming, but it does mean I favour clarity of
>code over efficiency for all but a few time-critical applications.

FORTH gives you the efficiency.  Clarity is mainly depended on
the programmer.  I don't find C has any more clarity than FORTH.


Wan Ngai Wayne Lee
wlee@csd4.csd.uwm.edu