Why we don't use lint

[Vicarious Oyster]

In article <475 at snow.warwick.UUCP> kay at warwick.UUCP (Kay Dekker) writes:
>In article <7097 at cca.UUCP> dewitt at cca.UUCP (Mark DeWitt) writes:
>>After three years of C programming I'm just starting to use lint, so
>>please no negative reinforcement by flaming about how stupid my questions
>>are, lest I give up on it entirely :-).
>
>Mark, I'm not flaming you, but I *am* worried!  If you've been programming
>in C for 3 years and not using lint then EITHER 1) Your system doesn't *have*
>lint.  You have my profound sympathy. OR 2) Nobody ever taught you about
>using lint.  I wonder why not? 
...
>People, what are *we* doing wrong when somebody can spend 3 years programming
>in a particular language and only then start using one of the most important
>development tools for it?

   Here's how getting a CS degree worked at the large state university
I attended (no names, and no peeking at the message header :-):

   Course #1:  "Oh, you're majoring in CS-- we'll teach you Simula."
   Course #2:  "OK, now we'll teach you assembly language, but we won't
   spend much time on it 'cause you already know how to program." 
   Course #3:  "Well, I think it's about time you learn about data
   structures.  Frankly, I don't know *how* you managed so long without
   them <chuckle>!  Incidentally, Simula is passe, do your assignments in
   Pascal.  We'll spend 2-3 lectures teaching it to you."
   Course #4:  "OK, time to write an OS/compiler/database.  You'll be
   using C, the greatest language ever conceived.   There'll be a 30
   minute tutorial on C tomorrow night at 7:00."
   etc...

So by the time one graduates, having barely enough time to get the
languages straight, let alone finish assignments, is it any wonder that
most CS degree holders ] have never even heard of lint?
Of course, it may not be *quite* as bad as I made it seem, and it may
have gotten better in the last 5 years (but then again, I didn't mention
learning things like Modula and LISP, either).  Of course, the people
in the department will tell you, quite correctly, that universities do
not teach programming, they teach Computer Science.  However, I daresay
most computer scientists will be earning their livelihood by programming.
My opinion is that there should be *at least* a week-long workshop on 
programming in the real world, but this is getting a bit far afield from
the C language, so I'll desist.  Also, follow-ups have been directed
somewhere else, just to keep the C readers happy.


 - Joel Plutchak
   uucp: {allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!oyster
   ARPA: uwvax!uwmacc!oyster at rsch.wisc.edu

Can you say "opinion"?  I *knew* you could!