Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!ncr-sd!sagpd1!jharkins
From: jharkins@sagpd1.UUCP (Jim Harkins)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Language principles
Message-ID: <634@sagpd1.UUCP>
Date: 19 Feb 90 22:44:23 GMT
References: <1990Feb9.181942.24649@utzoo.uucp> <4721@rtech.rtech.com> <1990Feb13.153513.2196@hcr.uucp> <645@dino.cs.iastate.edu>
Reply-To: jharkins@sagpd1.UUCP (Jim Harkins)
Organization: Scientific Atlanta, Government Products Div, San Diego, CA
Lines: 23

In article <645@dino.cs.iastate.edu> hascall@cs.iastate.edu (John Hascall) writes:
> (people who do: #define 2 TWO, #define 3 THREE, ... should be beaten)  ;-)

often and for long periods of time...

> 
>   #define N_TERMS 2              ==>   #define N_TERMS 3
>   average = (a + b) / N_TERMS;   ==>   average = (a + b + c) / N_TERMS;

I'm not sure what point your making here, but how about

	this_average = (a + b) / 2;
	that_average = (c + d + e) / 3;

I think the point is that while using symbolic constants is usually a good
idea, changing the word "usually" to "always" makes for a terrible rule.
Lets consider this beaten horse dead.

-- 
jim		jharkins@sagpd1

"I've found by and large that when the flu gets you, the best thing to do (other
 than go to bed, which is boring) is to go conquer something." -Jerry Pournelle