Re: bunch of pedants

jacob navia <jacob@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:
The regulars go on denying that C uses a stack. They should
read this:

<begin quote>
Any function in C may be recursive
(without special declaration) and most possess several "automatic"
variables local to each invocation. These characteristics suggest
strongly that a stack must be used to store the automatic variables,
caller's return point, and saved registers local to each function;
in turn, the attractiveness of an implementation will depend heavily
on the ease with which a stack can be maintained.
<end quote>

This was written by an expert in C.

And it wasn't worth your time either to identify the expert (it's from
a paper written by Johnson and Ritchie) or to mention that it was
published 30 years ago.

True, there is no mention of a stack in their bible
Fact is, there isn't any C implementations that don't use
a stack to store the automatic variables.

Up to now, this people are unable to put forward a single
example of an implementation that doesn't use a hardware
stack (maintained by a register in a contiguous memory
addressing space)

[...]

Then they started tripping with IBM mainframes. Nope, I showed
them the documentation of the IBM compilers for mainframes
where they describe the stack and its associated register (r13)

I read the excerpt you posted from the documentation for *one* C
compiler for *one* operating system on *one* IBM mainframe. It did
not state that the "stack frames" are allocated contiguously, and
another poster stated that in fact they are not. There's your
example.

[...]

Even if they have not a single example, they go on with bullshit of the
style "but an implementation *could* exist that... blah blah blah"

How is it "bullshit"? Do you claim that such an implementation could
not possibly exist? (I don't expect a straight answer to that
question.)

Facts are not important. The C standard does not mention a stack,
and that is it.

The fact that the C standard does not mention a stack is important
(but apparently not to you).

It is possible then to throw at unaware people that
asks questions in this group sentences like
"C has no stack"
"There is no stack in C"

I've addressed this in another thread.

[snip]

I decided that it is a waste of time to discuss with them. They just
repeat their bullshit without caring about what you answer to them

Then why did you start a new thread?

Personally I will not answer any more to falcolner and co. "C has no
stack" for them? Let it be.

I am not CBFalconer. Please do not try to put his words in my mouth,
or mine in his. I do not say this to criticize him, or even
necessarily to disagree with him, but to refute your apparent belief
that everyone who disagrees with you must be making the same
arguments.

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) <kst-u@xxxxxxx>
Nokia
"We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this."
-- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Statement on Schildt submitted to wikipedia today
    ... <begin quote> ... on the ease with which a stack can be maintained. ... "Portability of C Programs and the UNIX System" ... You continue making false claims in the ...
    (comp.lang.c)
  • The machine stack and the C language
    ... some obscure implementations somewhere in extremely small circuits ... functions in C implies a logical stack. ... <end quote> ... part of all C implementations use a hardware stack because the ...
    (comp.lang.c)
  • Re: bunch of pedants
    ... <begin quote> ... on the ease with which a stack can be maintained. ... people will fight it using the Holy Standard. ... notice that "insists" is not a standard term, ...
    (comp.lang.c)
  • Re: Statement on Schildt submitted to wikipedia today
    ... <begin quote> ... on the ease with which a stack can be maintained. ... You continue making false claims in the ... What about C interpreters. ...
    (comp.lang.c)
  • Re: bunch of pedants
    ... <begin quote> ... on the ease with which a stack can be maintained. ... where they describe the stack and its associated register (r13) ... You might think that things like recursion force a stack into existence. ...
    (comp.lang.c)