Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!sunic!dkuug!freja.diku.dk!skinfaxe.diku.dk!jensting
From: jensting@skinfaxe.diku.dk (Jens Tingleff)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: ADA/C Flame wars
Message-ID: <1990Mar26.184417.25844@diku.dk>
Date: 26 Mar 90 18:44:17 GMT
References: <3010.260C8D7E@puddle.fidonet.org>
Sender: news@diku.dk (The Netnews System)
Organization: Department Of Computer Science, University Of Copenhagen
Lines: 35

cspw.rures@p0.f4.n494.z5.fidonet.org (cspw rures) writes:


> 
>I can't resist adding to the sterile ADA/C flame war.
> 
>Neither of the languages can guarantee even the most fundamental
>algebraic properties about their expressions: e.g. that
>     f(x) + f(x)
>is always the same as
>     2 * f(x)
>and that
>     f(x) + g(x)
>is always the same as
>     g(x) + f(x).

Gee, I wish I had a language that did this (that's the question
you wanted, isn't it ?, well I asked it !!). I guess you're trying
to make a statement about side-efects, because your next sentence is

> 
>Imperative languages (any that permit re-assignment/side-effects
>into memory locations in a time-dependant way) are inherently
>"unsafe" and difficult to reason about formally.

Shure. You try writing to a file, a screen, a piece of paper
without any variable-alteration, and be sure to post an article
about it (without changing any variables, of course) ;^) .

	Jens

jensting@diku.dk is
Jens Tingleff MSc EE, Research Assistent at DIKU
	Institute of Computer Science, Copenhagen University
Snail mail: DIKU Universitetsparken 1 DK2100 KBH O