On 01/02/12 2:38 PM, Fred Cisin wrote:
Reading this
very interesting thread I got the malevolent idea to
implement a compliant C compiler which is as different from every other
as possible. Perhaps also for a fictional machine that also differs in
many ways from existing machines.
It would ALMOST be possible to implement a K&R C (which I call "C") on an
ANALOG computer. But, ANSI-C (which I do NOT call "C") introduces MANY
irrelevant, but prob'ly quite useful, restrictions that are neither
present in K&R 1, nor in the spirit of C.
K&R never claimed, nor implied that there was ANY portability in C.
The fact that UNIX-in-C was quickly ported to 5 or 10 platforms other
than PDP-11 - many with the help of pcc of course - makes a pretty
strong case.
ANSI took that and created a NEW, DIFFERENT language
that while
recognizable in its heritage, was obviously NOT the same language.
I think statement such as "this program is
written to be portable" it
means portable in just one or a handfull of aspects.
E.g. "Portable regarding endianess"
"Has been compiled with GCC on two platforms"
NOW, "portable to ALL platforms" means one flavor of Linux, Windoze XP,
and Mac OSX. ONLY.
At least it does't mean "portable to Ein Platform" as Billy dreamed (and
dreams on).
--Toby