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- Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!agate!ucbvax!KOPC.HHS.DK!ARNE
- From: ARNE@KOPC.HHS.DK (Arne Vajhxj)
- Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
- Subject: Re: VAX c
- Message-ID: <01GT9W2PQDHU8WWGNM@kopc.hhs.dk>
- Date: 8 Jan 93 10:51:33 GMT
- Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
- Distribution: world
- Organization: The Internet
- Lines: 72
-
- > >Gawd, how I *HATE* UNIX!
- >
- > But you use C?
- >
- > This discussion just reinforces my belief that C is an unacceptable language
- > because the run time library has to emulate unix, regardless of the OS. I
- > have seen C take over as 'this weeks language' and I just don't understand it.
- > Why in hell are so many people using C on VMS? Why would you want to hose your
- > performance running through 14 levels of emulation attempting to (and often
- > failing) make the rtl conform to every little idiosyncrasy of one particular
- > system? I mean, is it a management decree based on 'marketing related
- > concerns'? Is it for 'portability' (seems like the typical C program depends on
- > such exact unix behavior that this portability is just a myth touted by people
- > running unix. Christ, look at the contortions the guy who ported XV had to go
- > through)?
-
- There are some good reasons for using C:
-
- - It is often the only compiler available at all platforms in a mixed
- environment (f.ex. VMS-machines with FORTRAN,PASCAL and C + UNIX-machines
- with C + DOS-machines with PASCAL and C).
- - The number of extensions to the language available on the different
- platforms are relative low (compared with f.ex. VAX PASCAL and TURBO
- PASCAL) making the code relative easily to port.
- - The language has builtin possibilities for conditional compiling on
- different platforms (#IFDEF's), which makes source-code maintaining
- on different platforms easier.
- - The language itself is good at low-level programming.
- - A lot of things (f.ex. X11) are designed for use in C.
- - Some special utilities (YACC,LEX) are availble for C but not for
- other languages.
-
- Also there are some problems using C:
-
- - Some of the RTL-functions are implemented poorly with respect to
- performance.
- - There has been more bugs in VAXCRTL than in most other RTL.
- - C code can get very ugly indeed.
- - C and VMS are not always so compatible in basic structures
- (ex.: C-string versus VMS descriptors).
-
- And now for the big point (also called "Arnes rule about compilers"):
-
- There is NO best compiler. There are best compilers for a given
- programming-problem.
-
- If you are programming X11-applications,TCP/IP-applications,compilers
- or system-programming (and assembler is out of the question), then C
- is a good choice !
-
- If you are programming numerical-applications, then you will probaly
- prefer FORTRAN.
-
- If you are programming accounting-systems, then you may prefer COBOL.
-
- Etc. etc. etc. ...
-
- Compiler languages tend to have some religious overtones, because we
- all have some personal preferences due to the fact, that we all do
- different kind of programming (and what I think is very important: we
- learned the languages at different times in our careers - and we
- probably all love our FIRST language most !).
-
- OK ?
-
- Arne
-
- Arne Vajhxj local DECNET: KO::ARNE
- Computer Department PSI: PSI%23831001304030::ARNE
- Business School of Southern Denmark Internet: ARNE@KO.HHS.DK
-
-
-