Re: Aspects of programming languages in common

From: James Rogers (jimmaureenrogers_at_att.net)
Date: 04/16/04

  • Next message: osmium: "Re: Aspects of programming languages in common" 
    Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 23:41:42 GMT

    "Malcolm" <malcolm@55bank.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in
    news:c5n2v6$jc5$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk:

    >
    > "James Harris" <no.email.please> wrote in message
    >>
    >> The basic question is, What prevents these mainstream languages
    >> being translated to an intermediate form as proposed?
    >>
    > It happens already. A lot of language suites consist of front ends for C,
    > C++, FORTRAN etc, and then a common optimiser and library system for the
    > back end.
    >

    I don't think that is exactly what the OP is talking about.
    A lot of languages are translated into C and then compiled through
    a C compiler. They undergo a syntax evaluation before being
    translated into C.

    My understanding of the proposal is to perform the translation to
    a "neutral" language before performing any syntax checks. The
    problem with that proposal is that the translation itself must
    involve at least a high level syntax check. For instance, if
    you are programming in Pascal and containing Cobol code, the
    translator could fail.

    The bigger question, even if one could achieve what the OP
    proposes, is the question of value. If the "neutral" language
    syntax check identifies an error, how will that be properly
    communicated to the programmer in terms of an offending line
    number in the original source code? There will not always be
    a one-to-one mapping between original source lines and
    intermediate code lines.

    For instance, the Korn shell "select" loop generates and
    manipulates a menu. If that command is translated to
    equivalent C code the C code will require many more lines
    than the original Korn shell source code.

    Jim Rogers

  • Next message: osmium: "Re: Aspects of programming languages in common"

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