Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!canoe.cis.ohio-state.edu!martens From: martens@canoe.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jeff Martens) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Macintosh OS Message-ID: <81261@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Date: 7 Jun 90 14:18:34 GMT References: <1990Jun6.055847.14995@d.cs.okstate.edu> <:SY35CD@xds13.ferranti.com> <41684@apple.Apple.COM> Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Reply-To: Jeff Martens Organization: Ohio State University Computer and Information Science Lines: 34 In article <41684@apple.Apple.COM> daveo@Apple.COM (David M. O'Rourke) writes: >peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >>the best way to do things. A compiler, for example, really has no business >>calling GetNextEvent *ever*. > What if the user, a programmer in this case, wants to stop the compile?? This isn't the compiler writer's, or the compiler's concern. The user should send a break to the compiler, as under most operating systems. I guess on the Mac you reboot. > Even though a compiler may be primarily a batch oriented process, there is >still a user which needs to be serviced. In addition more complex compiler >designs of the future might call for more programmer interaction when it >finds a syntax error, allowing the programmer to fix the syntax error and >continue. If the user needs to be serviced, let him get his service in another window. With pre-emptive multitasking, this isn't a problem. It just looks like a problem to some people because they use archaic systems that don't multitask, or barely multitask, i.e., non-preemptively. > I basically agree with your point, but I think you're limiting your view >of what a compiler should be to what compilers current are, there are reason's >and examples for user interaction in almost any well thoughtout software >tool. But you didn't give any, now did you? If all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. If all you have is multifinder, then any attempt at transparent multitasking looks impossible. -=- -- Jeff (martens@cis.ohio-state.edu) Chemlawn, trademark, suburban distributor of toxic chemicals.