The C programming language

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Fri Mar 10 20:50:20 2000

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ethan Dicks" <ethan_dicks_at_yahoo.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2000 12:54 AM
Subject: Re: The C programming language


> > I don't have any Uni level CS under my belt, and that seems
> > to be what's needed to comprehend it.
>
> Rubbish. My first language was BASIC (like so many kids in the late
1970s),

Me too. On a TI99/4A (Which I've still got somewhere) Though it was early
80's,
and I wasn't a kid.

> followed quickly by 1802 and 6502 machine language (no compiler - stuff
> entered in hex),

Never owned a machine that had one of those.

> then, about six years after I started programming, C. Working
> at SRC in 1984,

My first exposure to C was a couple of years ago.

> I saw that we had a UNIX machine nestled amongst the VAXen
> running VMS. It was a VAX-11/750 w/2Mb RAM and two RK07 drives. I don't
have
> the drives (they were discarded in 1992), but I do have _that_ 11/750
> (s/n BT000354) now upgraded to 8Mb w/SI9900, Fuji Eagle, etc.

You are fortunate in having had access to such systems early in the piece.
My only exposure to computers in a work environment was a tired
Z80 based something or other that we did a little word processing on.
I did some work related stuff on a TI59C programmable calculator,
then similar in TIBASIC. But C wasn't around for the TI and the UCSD
Pascal card/compiler was very expensive. The only 'real' computer I
encountered (obliquely) was the Ferranti mainframe in the Message
Switching Centre downstairs. IIRC, it was a 24 bit system that was
used to handle teleprinter message traffic on the AFTN (Aeronautical
Fixed Telecommunications Network). I have no idea what O/S it ran,
it's secrets were jealously guarded by the Aeronautical Telecommunications
Officers, (Operators in other words). It ran an in house written software
suite to read message headers and route them to their destinations, with
correct priorities, sequencing of msgs so that 'missed' tfc could be
detected
etc etc. Most of the stuff interfaced to it were Siemens Model S100 baudot
teleprinters running at 50, 75, 100 baud. The 100baud ones were not
designed
to run at that speed, but the techs cranked them up by tinkering with the
motors.
In spite of that, they were quite reliable, and only failed about 3 times in
the 5
years I was in the Sydney FSC.

> What I've found from personal experience is that to really _learn_ a
> programming language, I need a project to keep me going past the learning
> cliff.

I'd agree with that. I certainly wouldn't have gotten into TP without a
particular project
in mind.

> I never learned a programming language in school, only by rolling up my
sleeves,
> going into larval mode once again and banging out a fun project.

Interesting. I got the impression that the knowledgeable C programmers
around
either
a) Worked in a professional computing environment and 'worked their way up'
or
b) Went to university and studied CS there.
or
c) Both.

C doesn't strike me as a language that could be 'self taught' without prior
knowledge of
a lot of things that you don't see outside that kind of environment.

All the books I ever saw on C seemed to expect that you already have a
working knowledge
of data structures architecture of the machine etc etc etc. I don't.
TP was perhaps just better documented for ignorant newbies than C is.

 That you have 'self taught' on it regardless indicates otherwise, so I will
revise my opinion.
 However I must agree that it does seem to (me at least, and I saw a another
response
 to my original post that agreed) to be a "write only" language unless it is
very well commented.

> Just for the record, I am very fond of C.

No? Really? ;^)

> Yes, atrocities have been
> committed in it, but it's right up there with perl and assembler as
> my favorite tools to get the job done.

It obviously works for you.

> Just be sure that you use the
> right tool for the right job.

Always good advice.

Er, I should point out that I don't/didn't intend to start a holy war here,
I'm merely relating my
experiences. We all seem to have our favourites, I guess I like TP because
it was the first 'real'
language (something compiled, not interpreted) I was able to get hold of.

Cheers

Geoff Roberts
Saint Mark's College.
Received on Fri Mar 10 2000 - 20:50:20 GMT