gcc vs. commercial C compiler (Sun's)

[Dave Jones]

>> Does anyone have any thoughts on the use of gcc (a relatively new
>> compiler as compilers go) vs. using Sun's C compiler in a medical
>> software project where software failure could cause loss of life?
> 
> Please tell us what hospitals buy your product so we may stay away 
> from them.
> 


I've seen this sort of thing on the net before, and frankly, I don't
like it.  Somebody is using some engineering technique or tool, or
in this case, simply investigating the relative worth of a particular
tool, and along comes the implication that the company produces bad
product.

The suggestion is completely unsupported by what has been posted
here.  I rather suspect that the correspondent has no direct knowledge
of the quality control procedures being used, no knowledge of the
software produced by the company, and indeed no knowledge about the
company at all.  All we know is that the correspondent is trying to
make a rational, informed choice as to which compiler to use.  And
a compiler is only a programming _tool_.  I can't say for sure, but 
given the nature of their business, I suspect that, as part of their
quality assurance program, the company goes to great lengths to assure 
that the compiler has indeed produced correct code.  In any case, it
is certainly not my prerogative to suggest otherwise.


		Dave Jones