Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!ut-sally!utah-cs!donn
From: donn@utah-cs.UUCP (Donn Seeley)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Why I won't use ANSI C (was: Re: parens honored)
Message-ID: <5212@utah-cs.UUCP>
Date: 18 Jan 88 04:46:29 GMT
References: <7563@elsie.UUCP> <7022@brl-smoke.ARPA> <7564@elsie.UUCP> <7053@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Lines: 44

I know Usenet is a treasure trove of arrogant and opinionated
statements, but I just couldn't let this pass without adding some of my
own.  I'm going to quote some of Gwyn's remarks out of context for the
purpose of ridicule -- feel free to check these quotes against the
original articles and judge for yourself whether this is unfair.

	Actually, my real response to this is that such backward
	porting hasn't been a concern of the committee, so far as I can
	tell, and rightfully not.  <7022@brl-smoke.ARPA>

'The committee couldn't care less whether existing implementations can
run correctly written ANSI C programs.'

	And another goal is to remedy clear deficiencies.
	<7053@brl-smoke.ARPA>

'The committee feels free to ignore existing practice if it will help
solve political problems.'

I feel that it was and is possible to have a standard that would
maximize interchange of software between existing C implementations and
would minimize the work required to bring nonconforming implementations
into line.  As a programmer, I can't imagine why a standard that
doesn't do this would be useful to me.  I am appalled at the contempt
Gwyn and the committee seem to feel for this idea.

My own arrogant and opinionated feeling:  C was not invented to solve
every programming problem.  Other languages have done and will do many
things better.  What C does do, it does well, and it proves this by the
enormous body of software which has been written in it, written
entirely without the graces of a formal standard.  I'm not impressed by
people who want to change C to 'advance the art', any more than I am
impressed by 62 options to 'ls' or 'cat'.  C is no longer a vehicle for
advancing the art; C IS art.

I have to admit, in spite of this tirade, that I don't feel any
particular fear at the inevitable onslaught of ANSI C.  Well before the
time its forces have conquered and occupied the enemy territory, I will
be writing my own programs in (say) C++, a language which really is
advancing the art, and which has yet to be 'improved' by committee...
The rest of you may have my condolences.

Donn Seeley    University of Utah CS Dept    donn@cs.utah.edu
40 46' 6"N 111 50' 34"W    (801) 581-5668    utah-cs!donn