Re:Deep C (2011)
by shakna on Monday October 23, 2017 @12:25AM
(#15530715)
PL/I is probably the most unpleasant language I have ever had to deal with. It makes C, without warnings, look as safe as a nuclear bunker.
The best quote that resonates with me, has to come from an unattributed UNIX fortune file:
> Speaking as someone who has delved into the intricacies of PL/I, I am sure that only Real Men could have written such a machine-hogging, cycle-grabbing, all-encompassing monster. Allocate an array and free the middle third? Sure! Why not? Multiply a character string times a bit string and assign the result to a float decimal? Go ahead! Free a controlled variable procedure parameter and reallocate it before passing it back? Overlay three different types of variable on the same memory location? Anything you say! Write a recursive macro? Well, no, but Real Men use rescan. How would a language so obviously designed and written by Real Men not be intended for Real Man use?
C, with it's almost-assembly and fairly predictable semantics was an absolute blessing.
The best quote that resonates with me, has to come from an unattributed UNIX fortune file:
> Speaking as someone who has delved into the intricacies of PL/I, I am sure that only Real Men could have written such a machine-hogging, cycle-grabbing, all-encompassing monster. Allocate an array and free the middle third? Sure! Why not? Multiply a character string times a bit string and assign the result to a float decimal? Go ahead! Free a controlled variable procedure parameter and reallocate it before passing it back? Overlay three different types of variable on the same memory location? Anything you say! Write a recursive macro? Well, no, but Real Men use rescan. How would a language so obviously designed and written by Real Men not be intended for Real Man use?
C, with it's almost-assembly and fairly predictable semantics was an absolute blessing.