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From: RALPH@UHHEPG.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Size limitations
Message-ID: <8708052307.AA29381@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Wed, 5-Aug-87 19:07:48 EDT
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Posted: Wed Aug  5 19:07:48 1987
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Date:  4-AUG-1987 21:22:20.01
From: Ralph Becker-Szendy RALPH AT UHHEPG
To:   B_INFOVAX,RALPH
Subj: Re: Size limitations
Hi everyone

Even in the danger of creating another "metaphysical" discussion:
(BTW, i apologize for even having my own point of view about hackers ...)

Daniel Smith is right IN PRINCIPLE: a well designed system should not impose
artificial limitations just for the sake of ease of implementation. What
the system can do (for you) should be limited only by its architecture.
most of the restrictions (like: 6 character identifiers in old FORTRAN, upper
case source only for some languages, the infamous 19 continuation lines
for IBM FORTRAN compilers) are caused by mentally retired software designers
sticking to their old prejudices (where >90% of IBM as a whole is MENTALLY
RETIRED, and DEC is on the way down the hill).

On the other hand, systems are implemented by people, which are a scarce
resource. I agree, 20 commands in the recall-stack is a shame. But, on the
other hand, a stack area for 20 commands of 255 bytes each is much easier
to implement than a whole pointer structure with all the complications of
virtual memory. When i write a program, i usually declare a 80-character
string for command input. Yes, in principle i should just declare a
varying-length string for it, but that's such a hassle in FORTRAN, and just
not worth my time. Think about it the following way: maybe the time the
programmer saved by having only 20 commands in stack went into usefull features
of the system.

Ralph Becker-Szendy
University of Hawaii / High Energy Physics Group

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are probably not endorsed by my
employer. I hardly ever actually speak to my employer. Even our system manager
stops smiling when i come by.