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From: haitex@pnet01.cts.com (Wade Bickel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Anyone seen a good Amiga Pascal lately ?  Why not Modula-2?
Message-ID: <2658@crash.cts.com>
Date: 11 Mar 88 13:17:01 GMT
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Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Lines: 88

peter@nuchat.UUCP (Peter da Silva) writes:
>In article <813@sdcc8.ucsd.EDU>, cs178abu@sdcc8.ucsd.EDU (John Schultz) writes:
>>   Seems like first impressions have lasting consequences on
>> programmers...
>
>I don't know why you'd say that. My first modern language was Pascal,
>and I spent months making a nuisance of myself at Berkeley telling all
>who tried to tell me that 'C' had any advantages that 'C' was a horrid
>kludge.
>
>>   Peter, I'm curious, how would one implement a nested WITH in C?
>
>You mean:
>	WITH shrimpboat DO
>	  WITH launchdate DO
>	    mm := 9;
>	    ...
>	  END (* with launchdate *);
>	END (* with shrimpboat *);
>
>I'd do this:
>	{ register struct trawler *t = shrimpboat;
>		{ register struct date *d = t->launchdate;
>			d->mm = 9;
>			...
>		}
>	}
>
>Or this:
>
>#	define T shrimpboat
>#		define D T.launchdate
>			D.mm = 9;
>#		undef D
>#	undef T
>	
>WITH is just a notational convenience. The implication in the reference I'm
>using is that the actual implementation is more likely to be like my first
>alternative ("Improved efficiency results from this rule, because the compiler
>need only evaluate the WITH variable once.")
>
>>   Oh, and another thing, let's say , for the sake of argument, that C
>> in it's present state, is superior to all other languages
>
>I never said this, but go on.
>
>> (including M2), as a language definition.  Enter Joe Blow, who can
>> produce 10000 lines of code in TS 27 (Taco Sauce 27, a fictitious
>> language), the worst language definition.
>
>So let him use it. I'm not suggesting that people change from Modula to
>C, or from Pascal to C. I'm just explaining why I like 'C'.
>
>> Joe's friends persuaded
>> him to try C. It took him twice as long to produce the same code,
>> which doesn't run any faster.
>
>That's two unjustified assumptions in one sentence.
>
>>   Now, should we force Joe to use C anyway?
>
>Of course not.
>
>> The point is, it's
>> pointerless to try to typecast a hardcore C programmer into M2 or
>> any other language.  So use what works best for you own personal
>> brain (of course, you will!).  
>
>(*f+ (turn on flamethrower) *)
>I think you have quite a bit of gall to post a series of messages that
>look a lot like you're trying to convert me to Modula, and then act as if
>I'm the one doing the preaching. In fact, this whole discussion (if I recall
>correctly) started when I championed someone else's Modula compiler. Really
>the mark of a C bigot, eh?
>(*f-*)
>
>>   Is *anyone* going to be persuaded to switch languages?
>
>Nor, it appears, compilers.
>-- 
>-- a clone of Peter (have you hugged your wolf today) da Silva  `-_-'
>-- normally  ...!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!peter                U
>-- Disclaimer: These aren't mere opinions... these are *values*.


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