Compilers and programming style (was Re: A question of style)
Bret Orsburn
bret at codonics.COM
Sat Jan 6 21:13:06 AEST 1990
There's a smiley in here somewhere, I just know it! (Musta got blasted by
my Telebit :-)
But, just in case:
In article <4406 at rtech.rtech.com> you write:
>From article <649 at codonics.COM>, by bret at codonics.COM (Bret Orsburn):
>>
>> Let me get something clear: are_you/is_anybody claiming that *all* isolated
>> pointer dereferences are inherently worthless ...
>
>I'm claiming exactly that. To claim the contary, one has to assert the
>following:
>
>1. Dereferencing a pointer is an absolute command to read the location pointed
> to, unless *optimization* is allowed.
Where C is concerned, that is an admirably succinct and comprehensive
statement of my view. Thank you.
>2. A high-level language is a tool for generating a precise sequence of
> machine instructions.
I would not assert that.
I would also not assert that C is a High Level Language, although there is
considerable room for disagreement here. I was taught that C is an
"Intermediate Level Systems Programming Language", but I would hasten to
add that I think both of those terms are too fuzzy to be of much use.
BUT, fortunately, the distinction is moot, because I also would NOT assert:
An intermediate-level language is a tool for generating a precise sequence
of machine instructions.
That assertion is too strong. Assertion number 1, above, is sufficient.
>I don't believe either of those. I've done my share of hardware hacking, but
>in assembly language, as God intended.
Missing smiley goes here, I trust?
--
-------------------
bret at codonics.com
uunet!codonics!bret C Is Not Baroque
Bret Orsburn Don't Fix It
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