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From: oz@yunexus.yorku.ca (Ozan Yigit)
Newsgroups: comp.bugs.4bsd,comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Complexity of reallocating storage (was users command crap)
Message-ID: <21548@yunexus.YorkU.CA>
Date: 31 Jan 91 15:44:34 GMT
References: <22870@well.sf.ca.us> <22311:Jan2502:34:1191@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <6662@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> <15325:Jan2903:19:4991@kramden.acf.nyu.edu>
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In article <15325:Jan2903:19:4991@kramden.acf.nyu.edu>
brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) writes:

>Any single-pass ``users'' has to either use quadratic time or be a rude
>abuser of resources. 

I think *unnecessary* multiple passes on disk files could best be described
as "a rude abuse of resource".

>Why not use two passes and be done with it?

To rephrase: ... you are using poor programming techniques. No program
should make multiple passes over a disk file when it could accomplish its
task with a single pass with hardly any effort on the programmer's part.

oz