Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!maize.engin.umich.edu!milamber From: milamber@caen.engin.umich.edu (Daryl Cantrell) Subject: Re: Compiler code (was a flame fest) Message-ID: <1991Apr17.180342.25312@engin.umich.edu> Sender: news@engin.umich.edu (CAEN Netnews) Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor References: <1991Apr16.001748.26530@uncecs.edu> <1991Apr16.183638.12808@cs.cornell.edu> Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1991 18:03:42 GMT In article <1991Apr16.183638.12808@cs.cornell.edu> johnhlee@cs.cornell.edu (John H. Lee) writes: >In article <1991Apr16.001748.26530@uncecs.edu> urjlew@uncecs.edu (Rostyk Lewyckyj) writes: >[...] >>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? [...] >2) The C language specifies a *very* a clear order for evaluations. May I >suggest you read the book by Kernighan and Ritchie, _The C Programming >Language_. [...] I don't think you take his meaning... If you have an expression like a * b + c * d C defines the order of operations with regard to the operators. That is, the multiplications will be performed before the addition. However, there is no way to know whether a * b or c * d will be evaluated first. Simi- larly, it is not defined whether a or b will be evaluated first in the multiplication. The only exceptions are the && and || operators, where left operand can short circuit the right. Personally, I would find such a definition about as useful as computed gotos... (Not at all) To the original (?) poster: What difference does it make how it happen- ned? I use C because it's fast, powerful, and intuitive. Every program- mer has their own reasons for their choice of language. How is it that which language I use is so important to you? If programmers everywhere are using it (which they are), there must be some reason, eh? -- +---------------------------------------+----------------------------+ | // Daryl S. Cantrell | These opinions are | | |\\\ milamber@caen.engin.umich.edu | shared by all of // | | |// Evolution's over. We won. | Humanity. \X/ | +---------------------------------------+----------------------------+