The C programming language

----- Original Message ----- From: "Ethan Dicks" <ethan_dicks(a)yahoo.com> To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2000 12:54 AM Subject: Re: The C programming language 1970s), Me too. On a TI99/4A (Which I've still got somewhere) Though it was early 80's, and I wasn't a kid. Never owned a machine that had one of those. My first exposure to C was a couple of years ago. have You are fortunate in having had access to such systems early in the piece. My only exposure to computers in a work environment was a tired Z80 based something or other that we did a little word processing on. I did some work related stuff on a TI59C programmable calculator, then similar in TIBASIC. But C wasn't around for the TI and the UCSD Pascal card/compiler was very expensive. The only 'real' computer I encountered (obliquely) was the Ferranti mainframe in the Message Switching Centre downstairs. IIRC, it was a 24 bit system that was used to handle teleprinter message traffic on the AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network). I have no idea what O/S it ran, it's secrets were jealously guarded by the Aeronautical Telecommunications Officers, (Operators in other words). It ran an in house written software suite to read message headers and route them to their destinations, with correct priorities, sequencing of msgs so that 'missed' tfc could be detected etc etc. Most of the stuff interfaced to it were Siemens Model S100 baudot teleprinters running at 50, 75, 100 baud. The 100baud ones were not designed to run at that speed, but the techs cranked them up by tinkering with the motors. In spite of that, they were quite reliable, and only failed about 3 times in the 5 years I was in the Sydney FSC. I'd agree with that. I certainly wouldn't have gotten into TP without a particular project in mind. sleeves, Interesting. I got the impression that the knowledgeable C programmers around either a) Worked in a professional computing environment and 'worked their way up' or b) Went to university and studied CS there. or c) Both. C doesn't strike me as a language that could be 'self taught' without prior knowledge of a lot of things that you don't see outside that kind of environment. All the books I ever saw on C seemed to expect that you already have a working knowledge of data structures architecture of the machine etc etc etc. I don't. TP was perhaps just better documented for ignorant newbies than C is. That you have 'self taught' on it regardless indicates otherwise, so I will revise my opinion. However I must agree that it does seem to (me at least, and I saw a another response to my original post that agreed) to be a "write only" language unless it is very well commented. No? Really? ;^) It obviously works for you. Always good advice. Er, I should point out that I don't/didn't intend to start a holy war here, I'm merely relating my experiences. We all seem to have our favourites, I guess I like TP because it was the first 'real' language (something compiled, not interpreted) I was able to get hold of. Cheers Geoff Roberts Saint Mark's College.