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From: dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave P. Schaumann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: How are some programs SO DAMN SMALL!
Message-ID: <865@caslon.cs.arizona.edu>
Date: 14 Feb 91 21:44:22 GMT
References: <1991Jan20.210328.18087@hoss.unl.edu> <28077.279c3c3f@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <91042.125712UH2@psuvm.psu.edu> <91042.134209J56QC@CUNYVM.BITNET> <MWM.91Feb14030520@raven.pa.dec.com <91045.150604GUTEST8@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be> <MWM.91Feb14101400@raven.pa.dec.co <CE
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson
Lines: 28

In article <CEDMAN.91Feb14124408@lynx.ps.uci.edu> cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu (Carl Edman) writes:
|In article <MWM.91Feb14101400@raven.pa.dec.com> mwm@pa.dec.com (Mike (My Watch Has Windows) Meyer) writes:
|   In article <91045.150604GUTEST8@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be> Ives Aerts <GUTEST8@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be> writes:

|      |Example: I just spent 30 seconds turning out a "hello world" program
|      |in a language chosen to 1) be portable, and 2) generate small
|      |executables. The executable is 20 bytes long. How small is your best

|      But this is VERY hard to believe.. [...]

I'll second that.

|   And you do it by choosing the right language. [...]

|I'm afraid he means that he used BASIC to write it. [...]

Is this true?  It is very dishonest to claim the size of a (uncompiled) BASIC
program is just the size of the file holding the program.  It is really the
size of the program + the size of the interpreter.

I noticed that the original poster neglected to mention which language he used,
rather deliberately to my reading of it.  If it's BASIC, he's busted big time.
If it's not, I think he owes us all the name of the language, and specific
implementation details (ie, version, vendor, optimizer switches, etc.).
-- 
Dave Schaumann      | DANGER: Access holes may tear easily.  Use of the access
		    | holes for lifting or carrying may result in damage to the
dave@cs.arizona.edu | carton and subsequent injury to the user.