Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!geac!aeshq!harry
From: harry@aeshq.UUCP (Harry Pulley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Turbo Pascal vs. C
Keywords: C, Pascal
Message-ID: <776@aeshq.UUCP>
Date: 2 Oct 90 18:55:51 GMT
Organization: AES Headquarters, Environment Canada, Toronto, Canada
Lines: 39


     I learned Pascal well before I learned C.  I wrote a fractal program in 
Turbo Pascal which I later converted to Turbo C as an exercise in that area.
I used exactly the same algorithm, the same number of iterations, the same
accuracy, etc.  I compiled the Pascal version normally, and the C version was
optimized for speed.  

     The result: the C version was more than 30% faster than the Pascal.  I was
running a 286 with a numerical co-processor.  The Pascal version required 33
minuted to finish a VGA screen, while the C version only took 22 minutes.
(Please note that these values are approximate; I don't have my test records
with me...)

     I am currently working on support routines for a database on a UNIX 
system.  To 'talk' to SQL and the database, almost all function parameters and
return values must be referenced using pointers.  I feel this application 
would be much more challenging to write in Pascal than it was in C, if not
impossible.

     Pascal is excellent for many applications, especially those where an error
overlooked by the compiler may cause damage to memory, disks, etc.  C compilers
will let you compile code which is obviously wrong (too many or wrong           parameters, etc.), without a peep.  This has created many a horrible            programming experience over the years.  

     C assumes that you know what you are doing.  I have, on occasion, done 
some things which would be considered bad programming practice.  For example, I
have provided floats for a function expecting integers.  The program worked 
alright; for that system, etc.  I didn't need to do convertions before I passed
the values on to the next procedure.  This, in my opinion, is a definite 
advantage of C over Pascal.  But you gotta know what yer doin'...

     C is currently my preferred programming language.  I am, however, glad 
that I used Pascal prior to learing C.  Except for a few Zen programming 
techniques (similar to the one above) I like to think that my programming style
still shows some of the structure that was necessary while I was writing 
programs in Pascal.

HCPIV

{ No flames intended toward Pascal users, :-) ! }