strcpy wars, jeez! A proposed resolution.

[00704a-Liber]

In article <8410 at sol.ARPA> quiroz at cs.rochester.edu (Cesar Quiroz) writes:

>Before we get too excited about the purity of functional bahaviors,
>let's remember that strcpy is used (in the overwheming majority of
>cases) *to perform side-effects*.

Only if you are using the LISP definition of 'side effect' and not the
definition I presented.  In LISP, the 'purpose' of calling a function is to
return a value, and the 'side effects' are what actions it did to get that
value.  In C, however, these definitions are reversed.  Functions in C are
called to perform an action.  (This is simply a mindset.)
-- 
 _ __			NEVIN J. LIBER	..!ihnp4!ihlpf!nevin1	(312) 510-6194
' )  )				"The secret compartment of my ring I fill
 /  / _ , __o  ____		 with an Underdog super-energy pill."
/  (_</_\/ <__/ / <_	These are solely MY opinions, not AT&T's, blah blah blah