OT (was: Re: Letter to US Sen. Byron Dorgan re unpaid overtime)

From: Jos A. Horsmeier (j.a.horsmeier_at_wanadoo.nl)
Date: 12/23/03 

Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 23:50:58 +0100

"Edward G. Nilges" <spinoza1111@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:f5dda427.0312231135.2c110849@posting.google.com...
> "Jos A. Horsmeier" <j.a.horsmeier@wanadoo.nl> wrote in message news:<3fe76690$0$189$1b62eedf@news.wanadoo.nl>...
> > "Richard Heathfield" <dontmail@address.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message news:bs7ji0$fts$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> > > Edward G. Nilges wrote:
> >
> > > > I have discovered that Richard doesn't know (apparently) how compilers
> > > > work
> > >
> > > Have you really? I think that what you actually discovered (because I told
> > > you) is that I've never written a C compiler. [ ... ]

> > I think I have to respond here too -- [ ... ]

> I'll concede that strlen should not be used in code that needs to be
> efficient [ ... ]

Bravo. Now we're talking. You know what Edward? For years I've been
planning to buy a nice old mansion in Spain, in the Extremadura area
for me and my wife when I'm an old sod. I love Spain and I detest
those bull fights overthere. You, as you entered this comp.programming
arena, remind me of those raging bulls -- furious, outrageous and
tactically stupid (read on before you reply).

Your 'opponents' (mind the quotes) are unlike those picadores (those
nasty wimps that stick little spears in your neck), unlike those
matadores (those little loonies with a rolled-up hanky in their trousers
to impress the senorita's) that penetrate your lungs with their fancy
swords. Those folks overhere are sensible human beings.

I think it's a fact; I've been lurking here for years after I've been
quite a regular overhere -- this group was (is?) about programming,
algorithms, no matter what the implementation language happens to be.
I like that idea, a synergy between people thinking about efficience
with an occasional digression here and there.

C is quite a language (since the mid-seventies) C++ does fine too,
Java resembles C and C++ but for us hard core programmer it just
still smells funny; some Pascalians come in here and Ada-addicts
hit this group more often than not. But what the ***? (I'm Dutch
so there's no reason for me to be politically correct).

C is a 'structured assembly language' as has been said often before.
That's a mixed blessing. You know what Edward? Whenever I write some
code in C? I can see the machine code shining through it. A lot of
folks around here can confirm this emotional statement.

C is not a high level language, and it was not intented to be. C is
a language that shoots you in the foot; but it's a fair language --
it doesn't stab you in the back, nor doesn't it sell you nasty pills
or whatever. (C++ sells your mother in law twice if you don't pay
attention). Every language has its benefits and pitfalls.

You fell into some of C's pitfalls, no reason to deny it. You are
not a C connoisseur (sp?) You're a proud human being who exhibited
itself as a silly bull in a Spanish arena. Don't do that; don't call
strlen() in a loop. Don't trust on 'rep scasbnz' (or whatever) don't
claim you know about LL(k) or LARL(k) parsers, don't go for the
'visual basic solves enterprise problems'; don't act like a silly bull;

think.

kind regards,

Jos