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From: rickf@ihlpa.ATT.COM (Fritz)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: MAJOR ANSI C FLAW (my opinion, of course)
Message-ID: <5842@ihlpa.ATT.COM>
Date: Sun, 11-Oct-87 16:56:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.5842
Posted: Sun Oct 11 16:56:07 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 13-Oct-87 00:15:45 EDT
References: <1132@gilsys.UUCP> <1246@bsu-cs.UUCP> <6543@brl-smoke.ARPA> <1252@bsu-cs.UUCP> <1050@ius1.cs.cmu.edu>
Reply-To: rickf@ihlpa.UUCP (79151-Fritz,R.A.)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
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In article <1050@ius1.cs.cmu.edu> edw@ius1.cs.cmu.edu (Eddie Wyatt) writes:
>
> You are not restricted to just using 6-characters id, but you
>are only guarenteed that the first 6-characters will be
>used to uniquely defined the id.  

This brings out why I think the issue is not as important as it is being
made out.  Identifiers can be as long as needed for clarity. But must be
significant within the first six characters.

I teach a lot of intro C courses, and alway tell my student to be unique
within the first three characters if possible. Not because of portability,
but simply for readability.  If you have two names in the same prog. that are
not unique within the first few characters there is a much stronger chance
that they will be confused by anyone reading the program.

Long names are fine, but uniqueness in the first N characters is not only
easier on the compiler (writer? ;-|) but on humans reading the program as
well. (Personally I am much more disenchanted with the lack of case
significance)

Rick Frankel
ihnp4!ihlpa!rickf