Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: notesfiles
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!sun!qubix!ios!oliveb!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpcnoe!dat
From: dat@hpcnoe.UUCP (dat)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: 6 char externs and the ANSI standard
Message-ID: <4800003@hpcnoe.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 13-Oct-84 17:28:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpcnoe.4800003
Posted: Sat Oct 13 17:28:00 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Oct-84 05:46:08 EDT
References: <4095@tekecs.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 46
Nf-ID: #R:tekecs:-409500:hpcnoe:4800003:000:1305
Nf-From: hpcnoe!dat    Oct 18 13:28:00 1984


	As far as case distinction, I think that it should be up
to the programmer to define a consistant standard.   For example,
in ANY language, my constants are always all uppercase, and my
'junk' variables (like loop counters) are always in lowercase.

	The compiler recognizing differences in cases can lead
to such evils as;
	
	int	i,I;
	char	word, Word;

and then code lines like

	if (i < 20) I=2;

	word = Word;

very evil.

	Of course the converse argument also holds true; the more that
you limit a language, the less functional it becomes for 'real' tasks.
Look at Pascal for an example of this.  Any version of Pascal that I 
have ever done any significant programs on has always been a superset
of the original J&W Pascal.  In fact here at HP we have a clone called
ModCal which is purported to be a cross between Modula-2 and Pascal!!!

	I would opt for the language ignoring case, though, since it is
easier conceptually for the programmer (the person who counts in the end
ANYWAY) to not worry about the case of a variable than to figure out 
errors like;

	main()
	{
	int i, I = 0;
	
	scanf("%d",&i); /* <-- lower case i */
	printf("i = %d\n", I); /* <-- upper case i */
	}

			somewhat wishy-washy on the subject,

				Dave (dAVE) Taylor (tAYLOR)


<pipe THAT through crypt and decode it!>