ADA/C Flame wars

[Adrian McCarthy]

In article <3010.260C8D7E at puddle.fidonet.org>
cspw.rures at p0.f4.n494.z5.fidonet.org (cspw rures) writes:

>Neither of the languages can guarantee even the most fundamental
>algebraic properties about their expressions: e.g. that
>     f(x) + f(x) = 2 * f(x)
>and that
>     f(x) + g(x) = g(x) + f(x).

I believe that the Turing language can make these guarantees.  I've
heard that it does not permit side-effects in functions.

> (I think it was Plauger's Programming Pearls
>that describes a programming community were using a fairly slow
>type-setting package with about 10 known bugs.   Asked the question
>"If you had a choice of fixing these bugs or doubling the speed
>of the package, which would you chooose",  the respondents inevitably
>chose the latter.)

If anybody cares, I say fix the bugs.  The double-speed version can
crash in half the time!  :-)/2

Aid.
adrian at mti.com
Standard disclaimers.

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