Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!udel!carroll From: carroll@udel.edu (Mark Carroll ) Newsgroups: comp.object Subject: Re: What is Objective C? Message-ID: <28470@nigel.ee.udel.edu> Date: 25 Aug 90 22:55:44 GMT References: <3864@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> <2700002@hpspkla.spk.hp.com> Sender: usenet@ee.udel.edu Organization: University of Delaware Lines: 42 Nntp-Posting-Host: dewey.udel.edu In article <2700002@hpspkla.spk.hp.com> burgess@hpspkla.spk.hp.com (David E. Burgess) writes: >> / hpspkla:comp.object / patrickd@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick Deupree) / 8:10 am Aug 23, 1990 / >> In article <3864@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Cliff Joslyn) writes: >> > >> >Well, the subject line says it all. What is Objective C? How does it >> >compare with C++? What is the title of a good book? >> > >> >> I believe that Objective C is an actual Object Oriented C compiler whereas > >Objective C is a C pre-processor. (At least that what Stepstone sells) >It produces ANSI C. The syntax is similar to Small-Talk and is translated >into calls to a messager that does any necessary dynamic binding. > >> C++ is a pre-processor. This basically means that C++ code is translated >> into C code which is then compiled into a final form. ... I just felt like it was time to pop in here. Quite often lately, I've seen people claiming that "language X is really just a preprocessor, whereas language Y is a compiler." The supposed distinction between the two is very slight, if it does indeed exist at all. C++ and Objective-C can both be implemented in ways where the output code is C. Many people are calling this "preprocessing". The only distinction between a "true" compiler, and a "preprocessor" is that the preprocessor is using a familiar HLL as its intermediate representation. This doesn't imply anything negative about the compiler, the language, or the implementation. The compiler is STILL a compiler; the language is still a language. >> Patrick Deupree -> patrickd@chinet.chi.il.us >David E. Burgess -- |Mark Craig Carroll: |"We the people want it straight for a change; |Soon-to-be Grad Student at| cos we the people are getting tired of your games; |University of Delaware | If you insult us with cheap propaganda; |carroll@udel.edu | We'll elect a precedent to a state of mind" -Fish