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From: brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Some things that pointer-less languages can't do efficiently
Message-ID: <26739:Oct1023:44:2690@kramden.acf.nyu.edu>
Date: 10 Oct 90 23:44:26 GMT
References: <1990Oct10.101527.2247@maths.nott.ac.uk> <1990Oct10.195202.2340@d.cs.okstate.edu>
Organization: IR
Lines: 13

1. Packed array tries, as in TeX. A C version of the relevant code is
amazingly fast.

2. Reversing a stack, or going through any other data structure
``backwards,'' without wasting lots of extra memory. You normally do
this by ``flipping the pointers.''

3. Simulating or interpreting machine language. Or any other language.
WIth the possible exception of themselves.

4. Data compression and decompression by dictionary methods like LZW.

---Dan