Re: Ada ad in Embedded Systems Programming stinks

[willett@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (david.c.willett)]

From article <34g5v3INN6q2@phage.cshl.org>, by pjm@isis.cshl.org (Pat Monardo):
> In article <34ecqc$b5q@source.asset.com>,
> Michael M. Bishop <bishopm@source.asset.com> wrote:
>>some development work on some NASA applications in which I was forced to
>>write in C. In C, of course, if you want to supply an OUT or IN OUT
>>parameter as an actual, you have to pass its address. C compilers
>>couldn't care less whether or not you actually pass an address. (I think
>>ANSI C compilers give you a *warning* - big deal: it still accepts the 
>>code). If you forget to put the address operator on the parameter and, 
> 
> Now I understand why languages are religions. Listening to an Ada
> person describe C is like listening to a Christian describe Hinduism.
> Remember, C is a language, not an environment. If want to impose
> discipline on your C code, then find a tool that supports your
> religion. If you allow warnings to stay in your code,
> then you are indeed in need of disciplining, try C++ :)
>

Pat, you win second place in the "short-sighted statement of the week" 
contest.  The discipline you speak of is of no value to a program's writer.
It is of value to those who must read the code.  There are many more such
folk then there are code writers.  Furthermore, you neglect C's intrinsic
low-level structure which makes warnings not all bad.  Sometimes, even 
legitimate and safe C code will generate warnings.  So it is quite
hard to find a tool the "supports your religion" if your religion happens
to be something like Ada's environment.

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Dave Willett          AT&T Advanced Technology Systems
                      Greensboro, NC USA

When short, simple questions have long, complex answers -- your 
organization's in trouble.

	Adapted from "In Search of Excellence"