Xref: utzoo comp.lang.eiffel:227 comp.lang.c++:3545
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ukma!uflorida!novavax!weiner
From: weiner@novavax.UUCP (Bob Weiner)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Eiffel vs. C++, no pointers in Eiffel
Message-ID: <1339@novavax.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jun 89 22:32:53 GMT
References: <2689@ssc-vax.UUCP> <148@eiffel.UUCP>
Organization: Motorola Inc.
Lines: 26
In-reply-to: sarkela@eiffel.UUCP's message of 2 Jun 89 22:09:07 GMT

In article <148@eiffel.UUCP> sarkela@eiffel.UUCP (John Sarkela) writes:

   Second, consider some the features of C++ which Eiffel does 
   not possess.  Eiffel does not possess global variables.
   Eiffel does not possess pointers. The elimination of 
   gratuitous pointer aliasing and extern'ed globals allows a 
   smart compiler greater lattitude in generating optimized code.  

This may true but many applications, especially real-time projects that
need the power of testable pre and post conditions, also need pointer
access to get at underlying hardware tied to different signal lines.
Alternatively, an environment that fully encapsulates the hardware
interface has to be provided.

Does this mean that inline assembler will never be supported in Eiffel?
I've read that the language is meant to interface well with external
programs and possibly modules.  Can I link C or C++ object files into an
Eiffel application?

Are there any plans to support cross-compilers, e.g. licensing of Eiffel
to third parties with experience in cross-compiler development, or any
support for real-time, embedded applications?  You are competing with
Ada as a development environment, aren't you?
-- 
Bob Weiner, Motorola, Inc.,   USENET:  ...!gatech!uflorida!novavax!weiner
(407) 738-2087