Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!ut-sally!nather
From: nather@ut-sally.UUCP (Ed Nather)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: (So-Called) ANSI C
Message-ID: <9964@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: 26 Dec 87 15:56:43 GMT
References: <4668@pyr.gatech.EDU> <3873@uw-june.UUCP> <6896@brl-smoke.ARPA> <633@l.cc.purdue.edu>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 24

As an ex-compiler-writer (too long ago to get credit in this modern age,
however ... remember Fortran I?) I was particularly impressed with the C
language and with the "register" notation, which allows the programmer
to give advice to the compiler -- in a limited way, of course, but I had
never seen that before, and was dazzled by the power it represented.
I was aware that the programmer always has a lot of knowledge that just
cannot be codified into a computer language, and which could help the
compiler generate better code if it could be aware of it.

A code generator has to play safe -- it can never use the short cuts a
good assembly language programmer will use without hesitation.  But if
it *knew* more, it could do a better job.  In my opinion and experience,
a good computer program and a well-informed user form a combination far
more effective than either one alone.

A compiler that can accept and use advice will generate far better code
than one that cannot.  It's a trend I sincerely encourage.


-- 
Ed Nather
Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin
{allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather
nather@astro.AS.UTEXAS.EDU