Xref: utzoo comp.lang.c++:13570 comp.lang.c:39431 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!wuarchive!uunet!philmtl!ray From: ray@philmtl.philips.ca (Ray Dunn) Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c Subject: Re: 64 bit architectures and C/C++ Message-ID: <1991May21.155821.14143@philmtl.philips.ca> Date: 21 May 91 15:58:21 GMT References: <4068@inews.intel.com> <1991May15.190016.21817@philmtl.philips.ca> <4284@inews.intel.com> Organization: Philips Electronics Ltd. Product Group PC. Montreal. Lines: 36 In referenced article, bhoughto@pima.intel.com (Blair P. Houghton) writes: >In referenced article, ray@philmtl.philips.ca (Ray Dunn) writes: >>Prior to "portable" 'C', porting problems were *expected*, >>visible, and handled accordingly. > >Now they're bugs in the compiler, not just "issues of >implementation." No - now they're "issues of *system dependancies*". >>Will developers still assume these bugs to be likely, and handle >>verification accordingly, or will they be lulled by "it compiled first >>time" into thinking that the portability issue has been taken into account >>up front, and treat it with less attention than it deserves? > >Your question is all but naive. Only if you ignore the fact, which you seem to do, that many of the issues of portability in the real world are created by differences in system hardware, operating systems and file management facilities. This is true for nearly all software for example which has a tightly coupled user interface, or which is forced to process system specific non-ascii-stream data files, or to interface with multi-tasking facilities. Even differencies in Floating Point handling can create major pains-in-the-neck. There's more to portability than 'C' conformity. -- Ray Dunn. | UUCP: ray@philmtl.philips.ca Philips Electronics Ltd. | ..!{uunet|philapd|philabs}!philmtl!ray 600 Dr Frederik Philips Blvd | TEL : (514) 744-8987 (Phonemail) St Laurent. Quebec. H4M 2S9 | FAX : (514) 744-9550 TLX: 05-824090 -- Ray Dunn. | UUCP: ray@philmtl.philips.ca Philips Electronics Ltd. | ..!{uunet|philapd|philabs}!philmtl!ray 600 Dr Frederik Philips Blvd | TEL : (514) 744-8987 (Phonemail) St Laurent. Quebec. H4M 2S9 | FAX : (514) 744-9550 TLX: 05-824090