C optimization and debugging.

[Mark Callow]

>	Personnally I can understand why the Fortran compiler is an
>	embarrasement, considering the attitude in this community
>	toward Fortran.  However, I cannot understand why Unix does not
>	come with a super-optimizing C compiler, as any increase in the
>	speed of the code produced will speed up all of Unix.  Surely
>	by now better could be done.
>	--
>	Bill Sebok                      Princeton University, Astrophysics

Hear Hear!  I have also never been able to understand why Unix,
this wonderful, spiffy, marvellous, programmer friendly software
development system (:-)) has such AWFUL debuggers.  Perhaps people
enjoy putting printf's in their programs.

Some light may be beginning to dawn.  I recently had an enjoyable and
successful time using dbx to debug the talk program.  It works very well.
Unfortunately rumour has it that no more work is being done on dbx at
Berkeley.  One of the items in a "to do" list that came with dbx was
a screen oriented interface.  That, if done right, would be a major
plus as it could eliminate a lot of the typing that seems an inevitable
part of source level debuggers.

One problem that dbx doesn't address and for which help sorely needed is
debugging applications running in multiple processes or across multiple
machines.  Even the simple act of giving the core files unique names
would help here.
-- 
>From the Tardis of Mark Callow
msc at qubix.UUCP,  decwrl!qubix!msc at Berkeley.ARPA
...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{ittvax,amd70}!qubix!msc