Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!labrea!agate!pasteur!ames!pacbell!att-ih!ihnp4!ihlpf!nevin1 From: nevin1@ihlpf.ATT.COM (00704a-Liber) Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc Subject: Re: Displays (Was: Var scoping in Wirth-type languages) Message-ID: <4048@ihlpf.ATT.COM> Date: 18 Mar 88 18:22:19 GMT References: <2850@enea.se> Reply-To: nevin1@ihlpf.UUCP (00704a-Liber,N.J.) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois Lines: 36 In article <2850@enea.se> sommar@enea.UUCP(Erland Sommarskog) writes: > >What is quite evident from this debate is that the programmer >shouldn't really bother about this. His main task is to express >the solution of the problem as clearly as possible in the language >he is using. He should not bother too much about such things as globals >vs. locals. What may be fast one compiler may be slow on another >and vice versa, depending on the technique they use. I guess you never actually had to *sell* a program :-). While I would like never having to worry about how a language is implemented, I can't get my job done well if I don't. It would be nice if we could program assuming an infinite amount of memory and infinitely fast processors, but neither of those things exist (yet :-)). For example: two days ago I implemented a nice concise algorithm for parsing. When I tried to run it, I got a memory error. It turns out that it was due to the garbage collection scheme the language I was using implemented (something which I have no control over). I ended up having to reimplement the algorithm so that it accounted for garbage collection. Another example: when I was first learning Pascal, I was using an Apple II + with 64K of memory. I learned very quickly how large the stack space was because many of my consise (and usually recursive) routines would bomb with a fatal error. A programmer should always try to take into consideration how the language he is using is implemented. His/her task is not only to express the solution to a problem clearly and easily, but to express it so that his/her solution will work given real-world constraints. -- _ __ NEVIN J. LIBER ..!ihnp4!ihlpf!nevin1 (312) 510-6194 ' ) ) "The secret compartment of my ring I fill / / _ , __o ____ with an Underdog super-energy pill." / (_