Re: Retired programmer wants to learn programming

On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:17:58 -0500, CBFalconer wrote:

> Ben Bacarisse wrote:
>>
> ... snip ...
>>
>> I can see this is may fault for not explaining it well. My point is
>> that recursion is *not* the issue. The issue is what is and is not a
>> function that may be called (recursively or otherwise). Almost all
>> lanuages have function calls, but C, for instance, restricts what can be
>> called. I often use C so, often, I decide I don't mind this restriction
>> but I know it is there.
>
> What do you mean by "restricts what can be called"?

Probably a problem with my terminology. I was referring to the fact that
the set of functions that can be called (with a meaning defined by the
language) is fixed at compile time.[1]

> In fact I consider C overly permissive and bug prone due to
> providing variadic functions.

I have no argument with you there! Which would you outlaw -- the variadic
functions or the use of C? I am too fond of C to do either, but that is
an emotional response, not an intellectual one (is that sharing too much?).

[1] OK, run-time plugins. But they are hardly a "language feature" and if
we go that route we heading towards the "all languages can compute the
same set of functions so they are all the same" argument.

--
Ben.

.

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