[Info-vax] VAX Macro to C conversion

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 7/10/19 1:57 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 7/10/2019 9:34 AM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> On 7/9/19 10:37 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>> On 7/9/2019 8:20 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>>>> On 7/9/19 9:04 AM, Dave Froble wrote:
>>>>> One might also argue that C is rather prone to errors.
>>>>
>>>> C is not prone to any more errors than any other language. See
>>>> previous statement.
>>>
>>> Languages are not equal when it comes to prevent errors.
>>>
>>> And C is probably one of the worst in this regard among widely
>>> used languages.
>>>
>>> Characteristics like:
>>> * no check on array indexes
>>
>> Programmer should know that going in.
>>
>> By the way, same applies to COBOL.
>>
>>> * very flexible pointer arithmetic
>>
>> Programmer should know that going in.
>>
>> What's wrong with that?  All assemblers have pointer arithmetic.
>>
>>> * very flexible type casting
>>
>> Programmer should know that going in.
>>
>> What's wrong with that?  A very useful function.  And easily done
>> in every assembler I have ever used.
>>
>>> * allowing use of uninitialized variables
>>
>> Programmer should know that going in.  You mean  like someone
>> here's beloved BASIC?  :-)
>> So does Fortran.
>>
>>> * no string type
>>
>> So what?  What's so great about a string type?  Fortran
>> didn't have it until 77.  Pascal didn't have it until UCSD.
> 
> Neither Fortran 77 nor UCSD Pascal are recent.
> 
> :-)

And neither is C.

bill