Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sample.eng.ohio-state.edu!purdue!haven.umd.edu!mimsy!cml From: cml@cs.umd.edu (Christopher Lott) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: What does lint do? Summary: It helps deficient compilers. Keywords: lint Message-ID: <35026@mimsy.umd.edu> Date: 29 May 91 22:03:14 GMT References: <91-05-108@comp.compilers> <1991May29.173713.7058@netcom.COM> Sender: news@mimsy.umd.edu Organization: University of Maryland Dept of Computer Science Lines: 34 In article <1991May29.173713.7058@netcom.COM> jls@netcom.COM (Jim Showalter) writes: >I remember back in another lifetime when I used to work for a UNIX shop >the justifications made for the C compiler not doing much checking: "We >can always run it through 'lint'.". Of course, they never DID run it >through lint, because they found that when they did it flagged all sorts >of errors, and this presented a major inconvenience to them. Much better >for the CUSTOMER to act in the role of lint, finding most errors in the >field. This made no sense at all to me at the time (and still doesn't) >but hey, what do I know?--I'm not a hacker. I do wish to throw in my $.02 to say that I convinced an old boss of mine to purchase Gimpel Lint for use on the PC - we were using MS C at the time - and once he saw early results, he happily took the time to run all of his code as well as all of the code in the project through that beast. Founds lots of stuff, wish I could remember juicy examples, but can't. Anyhow, they soon swore by it, at least most of them did. But naturally there were some who didn't see the use. I had unpleasant experiences with one, who when shown the deficiencies in his code, still refused to make changes, etc, etc. So there are folks who use lint and swear by it, especially when gcc is not or can not be available. But there are also still plenty of cowboys out there, folks who run a software business like sh*t. And Mr Showalter also seems to enjoy baiting those of us who like C, but I will not rise to the bait. It's too hot here to get all worked up. chris... p.s. note lack of signature soliciting business. it's a grey area, putting such dreck in your sig, but I for one don't like it. -- Christopher Lott \/ Dept of Comp Sci, Univ of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 cml@cs.umd.edu /\ 4122 AV Williams Bldg 301 405-2721