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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.sources.bugs
Subject: Re: Using identifiers with more than 7 chars. #$%@
Message-ID: <6483@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 20:09:13 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6483
Posted: Mon Mar 10 20:09:13 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Mar-86 20:09:13 EST
References: <526@dsi1.UUCP> <29@gilbbs.UUCP> <408@ucbjade.BERKELEY.EDU> <47@gilbbs.UUCP>, <216@fluffy.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 15

> ...  Why should people with current
> systems have to generate code that is harder to maintain so you can use it
> as is...

The technical term for it is "portability".  Nobody said it was effortless.

> ... Code with descriptive variable names are usually easier to debug,
> maintain, and port then programs with all identifiers 6 chars or less.

You can still write code with descriptive variable names, you just need
to make sure they're all unique in the first N characters.  This is a
minor nuisance, no more.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry