The C programming language

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Fri Mar 10 09:51:17 2000

While I'd definitely have to weigh in on the side of the 'C' programmers,
there are a few things that have disappointed me over the years, more with
the compilers than with the general notion of 'C' as a language. As I've
often said, however, "Where you sit determines what you see." I live in
the microcontroller world, and the compilers vary widely in terms of
functionality and quality. There's a range of compilers reaching from doing
WAY too much to doing virtually nothing helpful at all.

'C' allows me to write code for these small computers/controllers that runs
pretty quickly in terms of development time/effort, yet still enables me to
focus my efforts on the task specifics. The compiler (hopefully) deals with
the common logica constructs, e.g. iteration, comparison, etc. though it
can't be relied on to produce the most compact code nor can it be expected
to produce the shortest run times. Most of these compilers produce assembly
language output. That means that I can take their output and whittle on at
as I need to.

I've seen very few of the more popular languages available for
microcontrollers. There's no CC++ for the PIC, nor is there an ADA for the
68HC705. WHile there are PASCAL compilers for the more popular
microcontrollers, they're not that common, and support for the various
flavors of the common, e.g. 8x51-core-based varieties, of which there are
literally dozens, is often left to the user.

If it weren't for 'C', there'd only be assembler for most of my programming,
and, frankly, if it weren't for 'C', there'd probably be few assemblers,
since they're almost all written in 'C'.

Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Ford <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com>
To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Date: Friday, March 10, 2000 4:02 AM
Subject: Re: The C programming language


>>In a message dated 03/09/2000 3:19:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>>Hans.Franke_at_mch20.sbs.de writes:
>>
>>> I wouldn't consider C as anything 'grown'. maybe evolved in the
>>> sense of degeneration.
>>
>>Hey, Hans, I don't get this. C is the most versatile, flexible, and
portable
>>language ever devised. It permits complete control of hardware while at
the
>>same time allowing elegance in program design and structure.
>
>The key word here is "allowing" not requiring. The obfuscated C code
>contest kind of invented itself.
>
>
Received on Fri Mar 10 2000 - 09:51:17 GMT