Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!vsi1!zorch!xanthian From: xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) Newsgroups: comp.std.c++ Subject: Re: Packing, Ordering, and Rearranging Message-ID: <1990Sep21.130531.7437@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> Date: 21 Sep 90 13:05:31 GMT References: <1407@lupine.NCD.COM> <2218@ux.acs.umn.edu> <57467@microsoft.UUCP> Organization: SF-Bay Public-Access Unix Lines: 18 jimad@microsoft.UUCP (Jim ADCOCK) writes: > >One cannot write portable software, and in general take control of the >intimate details of structural layout. Huh? Probably the three languages in which most ported code in existance today is written are COBOL, FORTRAN, and C, and each gives _exquisite_ control over data "structure" layouts, through COBOL's RECORD, FORTRAN's ARRAY and EQUIVALENCE, and C's struct, bitfield, and union functionalities. Successful languages (so far) give complete control where it is demanded by the programmer. There is no particular reason to think a language without such facilities will succeed over the long term, so why design one? Kent, the man from xanth.