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From: urjlew@uncecs.edu (Rostyk Lewyckyj)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: Compiler code (was a flame fest)
Message-ID: <1991Apr16.001748.26530@uncecs.edu>
Date: 16 Apr 91 00:17:48 GMT
References: <1991Apr2.100807.13471@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <MWM.91Apr2120500@revelwood.pa.dec.com>
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 39

In article <MWM.91Apr2120500@revelwood.pa.dec.com>, mwm@pa.dec.com (Mike (My Watch Has Windows) Meyer) writes:
> In article <1991Apr2.100807.13471@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> cs326ag@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Loren J. Rittle) writes:
> 
>    In article <1991Apr2.002631.22799@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) writes:
>    >In article <mykes.1028@amiga0.SF-Bay.ORG> mykes@amiga0.SF-Bay.ORG (Mike Schwartz) writes:
>    >>>char buf[20];
>    >>>main()
>    >>>{
>    >>>  char *d=(char *)&buf;
>    >>>  const char *s="This is a test\n";
>    >>>  while(*s) { *d++=*s++; }
>    >>>}
>    void main (void)
>    {
>      char *d = (char *)&buf;
>      char *s = "This is a test\n";  // Note I got rid of the const, as
> 				    // not only is it of questionable
> 				    // legality under ANSI C (YOU CHANGE THE
> 				    // VALUE OF s!), but also caused SAS/C
> 				    // to generate (good, but) strange
> 				    // (meaning LONG) code.
> 
>      while (*s)
>        *d++=*s++;
>    }
> 
> Actually, the code is perfectly valid. S is declared as a "pointer to
> constant", which it is - the string isn't changed. To declare s as a
> constant, its "char *const s". That would have been invalid.
This probably belongs in comp.lang.c, but since C is the official
Amiga language, I post my comment here.
  
If a language causes this much controversy in just a variable/constant
declaration, and does not define any specific order for evaluations,
and does not have all the arithmetic operators (e.g. power), and 
does not have a computed go to (for branch tables) ....
How can it have such a zealous cult following of true believers?
How is it that an glorified assembler for the DEC PDP 11 has become
the language of choice for assembler hating CS students?