Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!lll-crg!lll-lcc!well!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020
From: mc68020@gilbbs.UUCP (Tom Keller)
Newsgroups: net.sources.bugs
Subject: Re: Using identifiers with more than 7 chars. #$%@
Message-ID: <68@gilbbs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Mar-86 21:21:02 EST
Article-I.D.: gilbbs.68
Posted: Tue Mar 11 21:21:02 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 18:28:56 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Gil's Place, Santa Rosa CA
Lines: 49

Keywords:
References:


   For a group of supposedly intelligent individuals, you people certainly do
have a problem with basic English comprehension.

   If you will ***READ*** the messages from those of us who are complaining
about 7 character identifiers, you will discover that the complaint is that
people are witing code using 10-mile-long identifier names, and then 
identifying that code as "portable".


   Certainly, those who write code have the right to do so using any convention
setup they wish.  No one has the right to impose any conventions on them.  I
*DO* have the right to object when these authors classif their work as
"portable".  It is *NOT*.   All I have asked is that if you are going to 
write code that is non-portable, then identify it as such.

   Portability is a big issue, and everyone wants to look good, so they claim 
their code is "portable".  Unfortunately, in most cases, it just ain't so!


   Once again, I also point out to those who insist that it is uneasonable
for us to expect them to cover every obscure or out-dated system in the
UNIX world:  I use a Tandy Model 16A, upgraded to a Model 6000, running
under XENIX.  In terms of numbers, this puts me in the group of the largest
installed base of UNIX computers in the world.  There are well over 100,000
such systems in use.  So don't give me a bunch of garbage about obscurity.
(no, I *DON'T* expect the rest of the UNIX world to cater to my toy)

   Just admit, first to yourselves, and then to the world, that your code 
*ISN'T* portable, and identify it as such.  Is this really too much to ask?


(for those who don't think we who receive free code should complain, take
 note: I am not complaining about the code, I am complaining about misleading
 claims of portability)

 thank you.   Hoepfully, it will not be necessary for this argument to 
 continue.

-- 

====================================

Disclaimer:  I hereby disclaim any and all responsibility for disclaimers.

tom keller
{ihnp4, dual}!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020

(* we may not be big, but we're small! *)