6 char externs and the ANSI standard

[PAD Powell]

>From: dat at hpcnoe.UUCP (dat)
>Subject: Re: 6 char externs and the ANSI standard
>	As far as case distinction, I think that it should be up
>to the programmer to define a consistant standard.   For example,
>in ANY language, my constants are always all uppercase, and my
>'junk' variables (like loop counters) are always in lowercase.
>
>	( ugly example inserted )
>	Of course the converse argument also holds true; the more that
>you limit a language, the less functional it becomes for 'real' tasks.
>Look at Pascal for an example of this.  Any version of Pascal that I 
>have ever done any significant programs on has always been a superset
>of the original J&W Pascal.  In fact here at HP we have a clone called
>ModCal which is purported to be a cross between Modula-2 and Pascal!!!
>
>	I would opt for the language ignoring case, though, since it is
>easier conceptually for the programmer (the person who counts in the end
>ANYWAY) to not worry about the case of a variable than to figure out 
>errors like;
>	scanf("%d",&i); /* <-- lower case i */
>	printf("i = %d\n", I); /* <-- upper case i */
>
>				Dave (dAVE) Taylor (tAYLOR)
>
>
><pipe THAT through crypt and decode it!>

ARRRGGHHH!  why not go all the way, and insist that all characters
outside strings will be forced into lower case? ALA: Pascal/Fortran, etc.

This has to be one of the most noxious things that I encounter, when porting
code:  you no longer have a WYSIWYG: What you see is What you get.

Less CLUDGES.  Less "intimate" knowledge.  Upper case and lower case
SHOULD BE DISTINGUISHED.

By the way,  I think that this should hold for external variables.

ESPECIALLY for external variables.

Patrick ("Yep, sure does look like FORTRAN") Powell