Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!lll-lcc!pyramid!nsc!chongo
From: chongo@nsc.UUCP (Landon Noll)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: Obfuscated C
Message-ID: <3570@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-May-86 02:53:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: nsc.3570
Posted: Mon May 12 02:53:03 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 14-May-86 07:33:58 EDT
References: <590@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Reply-To: chongo@nsc.UUCP (Landon Noll)
Organization: Rational Swamiconductor, Sanivale
Lines: 22

In article woody@juliet.caltech.edu (William E. Woody) writes:
 >  I Like C to be reasonably easy to learn _and_ extremely powerful, as well.
 >But if we tack on new commands and operators at will, then everyone's program
 >will be a winner in the Obfuscated C contest!
 >
 >         - William Woody

I agree.  Most suggestions of "new-and-improved" C features try to make
C into some other language.  I was glad to see Ansi-C standard drafts
did not go Hog-wild (as in J. Poornelly C) with features, though some
of them go too far.

When you want to add something to C, ask yourself:  Does the power I
gain justify the additional complexity of the compiler?  Does it break
existing C programs?  Does it add something that was not already there
in another form?

Last, consider what this "new" feature will do to the complexity of C
source.  Consider the potential abuse of the "feature".  If 1986's
entries any any judge, we nearly have enough of these problems already...

chongo  <CONTEST ENDS MAY 30!  HAVE YOU SENT IN YOUR ENTRY?>  /\cc/\