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From: wmb@MITCH.ENG.SUN.COM
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Forth and C again
Message-ID: <9103210420.AA14758@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 21 Mar 91 01:27:00 GMT
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Reply-To: wmb%MITCH.ENG.SUN.COM@SCFVM.GSFC.NASA.GOV
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>    Why do people always try to drag C into the argument?

Because C is the language that is "taking over the world".  Even in the
areas where Forth has a stronghold, C is getting most of the design wins.

Other languages (Pascal, LISP, Modula, etc) are interesting for technical
comparisons, but when you get down to practical matters, C, for all its
academic deficiencies, is what most programmers and their managers choose
these days.

(Yes I know that AI people still use LISP and business people still use
COBOL and some of us diehards still use Forth, but in general terms, the
above statement is nevertheless true).

I think it makes a lot of sense to make comparisons with your primary
competition.  Pepsi sure doesn't waste much advertising time going head
to head with Dr. Pepper (Dr. Pepper is another one of my obsessions, along
with Forth and EMACS).

Mitch Bradley, wmb@Eng.Sun.COM