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From: JUNG_E%SITVXA.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: PRECEDENT FOR USE OF =
Message-ID: <1645@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 25-Jun-86 02:36:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.1645
Posted: Wed Jun 25 02:36:50 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 30-Jun-86 04:27:37 EDT
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Although this may be read by all, it is targetted for
Ken "Smurf Shredder" Montgomery at U Texas, self-acknowledged scum.

Why can't C be like everybody else?  Practically every language uses
the equals sign, "=", to test for equality, not as an assignment operator.
Everybody who's anybody knows that there is a problem in the use of "="
for more than one purpose, a la BASIC and FORTRAN.  Pascal resolves this
problem by continuing to use "=" to testing and creating ":=" for
assignments.  Kernighan and Ritchie, in their infinite wisdom, decide
instead to use "=" for assignments and to create a new operator, "==" to
test for equality.  Gee, that must have required brains, the brains of
a 3 year old.

If they had my brains, they would have used Pascal's method.  Better yet,
they should have let someone else write up C.

Edward Jung, Stevens Institute of Technology
JUNG_E@SITVXB.BITNET

PS: Ken, I don't like your cat.