Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!umich!sharkey!tygra!dave
From: dave@tygra.UUCP (David Conrad)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.pascal
Subject: Re: Borland flaming
Message-ID: <1991Apr20.060544.19208@tygra.UUCP>
Date: 20 Apr 91 06:05:44 GMT
References: <671521507.6@egsgate.FidoNet.Org>
Organization: CAT-TALK Conferencing System, Detroit, MI
Lines: 39

In article <671521507.6@egsgate.FidoNet.Org> Unknown.Of.250/401@p402.f401.n250.z1.FidoNet.Org (Unknown Of 250/401) writes:
>
>> Let's face it, Borland has a good track record in their C++
>> development, and I have no reason to flame them for anything.
>
>I will give you a reason for free: Borland documentation is awful.

Several good examples and some garbage about unsigned integers in Turbo
Pascal (did this article make it undamaged to any sites?  I'd like a
complete copy.  If you've got it, mail me and tell me.  Don't just send
it, I'll be flooded.)

Here is another example from TP 5.5, I don't know if they fixed it in 6.0:

   From the online help for the Val procedure:
     Procedure Val(s : string; var v;
                   var code : Integer);

     Converts the string value to its numeric
     representation, as if it were read from a
     text file with Read. s is a string-type
     variable, it must be a sequence of char-
     acters that form a signed whole number. v is
     an Integer-type or real-type variable. code
     is a variable of type Integer.

   "code is a variable of type Integer."  I had rather surmised that when
   it was defined as "var code : Integer".  Now, I happen to remember how
   code is used, but if I didn't then the online help would be no help at
   all, and I'd have to refer to the manual.  Borland needs to thoroughly
   review the online help text.

David Conrad, tygra!dave,
dave%tygra@sharkey.cc.umich.edu
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