Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!uunet!mcsun!ukc!reading!minster!forsyth
From: forsyth@minster.york.ac.uk
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: pointers
Message-ID: <656696199.7872@minster.york.ac.uk>
Date: 23 Oct 90 15:36:39 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of York, England
Lines: 16

on which statistical results are people basing the claim that pointers are
a serious problem in software?  i know about the pointers::goto argument,
but that was an attempt to offer insight.  it was a claim or a comment, not a proof!
furthermore, it was made at a time when most systems software was still in assembly language
(or cobol -- which hasn't got pointers!)

are Sunview, SUNOS, Ada compilers, X11 etc. all overblown because of pointers?
i had no idea.  i'd never have guessed it from the source code i've read.

deadlines, too little money, too much money, too little thought,
too little experience, too much MS/DOS, too little claret:
i think these have much more to do with the problem than pointers.

i also think some are confusing `wanton use of pointers is bad' with `use of pointers is bad',
in much the same way that `the longing for/love of money [cupidity] is the root of all evil'
was corrupted by some into `money is the root of all evil': not quite the same thing.