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From: oconnor@sungoddess.steinmetz (Dennis M. O'Connor)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc,comp.lang.modula2
Subject: Re: From Modula to Oberon
Message-ID: <9851@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP>
Date: 8 Mar 88 19:23:32 GMT
References: <9796@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP>
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An article by cjeffery@arizona.edu (Clinton Jeffery) says:
] From article <9796@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP>, by oconnor@sunset.steinmetz (Dennis M. O'Connor):
] > It's difficult to see the logic in using Modula2 if
] > a reliable Ada(R) compiler is available...
] > Oberon seems to be a "poor man's Modula2", which
] > I guess makes it a "welfare Ada" :-) I see no use for Oberon...
] > it has no unique problem domain in which it excels
] 
] ***FLAME ON***
] Bashing Wirth without understanding his point is silly, especially by
] contrasting his work with Ada!

As I understand it, the point of Oberon is to make the compiler writer
do LESS, and the application programmer do more. Which, if true, is INSANE.

] [...] it is more sensible to design
] a general purpose language that accomodates abstractions efficiently than
] to try to provide ALL abstractions as builtins!

If there's a language that does "provide ALL abstractions as
builtins", it is NOT Ada. Ada is VERY extensible, with its
private types, limited types, packages and generics. What the
HELL are you talking about ? Have you programmed in Ada ??
Have you even read the LRM ? Nice book, that LRM.

] Mr. O'Connors last point about unique problem domains is VERY apt,
] but applies equally well to that thing people call Ada.

Sorry, Ada has a unique problem domain : software for the military.
Due to legislation more than anything else, perhaps. But you are
still wrong. IMHO, Ada is a VERY good language for LARGE SYSTEM
development by MANY programmers. That's a BIG problem domain.

] Get Ada lovers out of this newsgroup; they don't
] understand what Modula-2 and friends are for.

My, my, aren't we opinionated? "Modula-2 and friends"?? That's a
funny statement, since Ada and Modula-2 are practically sisters.
Now me, I've programmed EXTENSIVELY (not just homework) in
ZetaLISP, C, Ada, Modula-2, FORTRAN, and assembly. I like
Ada, I like Modula-2, I like Zetalisp. I love my wife.
( I HATE CASE SENSITIVITY IN A LANGUAGE, tho )

Have you written large code in Ada ?? If not, you have no
right to talk about it. So SHUT UP.

] | Clint Jeffery, University of Arizona Department of Computer Science

Boy, the things these college students say...
--
    Dennis O'Connor			      oconnor%sungod@steinmetz.UUCP
		   ARPA: OCONNORDM@ge-crd.arpa
   (-: The Few, The Proud, The Architects of the RPM40 40MIPS CMOS Micro :-)