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From: PETERSC0@VUENGVAX.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Reply
Message-ID: <8705242101.aa27497@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 24-May-87 21:00:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: SMOKE.8705242101.aa27497
Posted: Sun May 24 21:00:00 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 25-May-87 04:41:11 EDT
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> I saw this just a few minutes ago:
> From: EDU%"zen!cory.Berkeley.EDU!schung@cad.Berkeley.EDU"
>    [...]                                                   When you
>    REALLY sit down and think about the design of C, you will realize
>    how beautiful (and how incredibly superior to Pascal and Ada) it
>    is.

    "C"?  Incredibly superior to Pascal and Ada?  I really hate this
age-old argument.  As a matter of fact, I think this is one of the
most pointless, stupid arguments in history.

    If you closely define the reason for using a certain language, then
comparing "C" to Pascal or Ada is ridiculous.  Comparing Pascal or Algol
is more realistic, since Algol is an (almost) direct precursor of Pascal.
And, in the same vein, Pascal is the same way to Ada and Modula.  Even so,
these comparisons are not good ones.  Modula and Ada are successors to
Pascal and have been designed (and often implemented) to do some things
better than Pascal.  For those things, they are obviously more suited
(read: better).  Go ahead and compare "C" to BCPL or "B", but please leave
the Apples and Oranges alone.

    As far as I am concerned, Pascal is easier to work in (for me) because
it is my native language.  "C" is very good for systems work and for other
specialized groups of applications, but it is not the easiest for ME to use.
Nonetheless, I use "C" extensively because it suits my work better a lot
of the time.  I also use COBOL when it is waranted.  I bet the "C" disciples
cringed at that one!  Use whatever is best suited to your application, say I!
If you don't, you're being short-sighted and foolishly loyal to your favourite
language(s).

-Chris