PASCAL as a system's programming language

[Ron Natalie <ron>]

> > ...  Unfortunately, 'C' can be adapted only with great difficulties
> > to other architectures, like the Cyber 173, the DEC-20, &c. (not to be
> > misunderstood, 'C' compilers for these machines exists, it is just that
> > practically no program that Joe Random Hacker produces on a VAX will
> > run on them unaltered).
> 
> Actually, practically no program that Joe Random Hacker produces on a
> VAX will run on a PDP11 unaltered...
> -- 
> 				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
> 				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry

Nobody ever claimed C guarantees that you will your code to portable, but
only that it allows you to write portable code.  The thing that makes C
so appealing for system programming is that it allows you to break the
rules.  Systems Programmers do not necessarily want to do things in a
portable or even structured manner.  They should be of a level of skill
that they know enough to be careful when using the questionable features
of the language.

-Ron