Re: Maintaining old code

genew@mindlink.bc.ca (Gene Wirchenko)
13 Feb 1996 19:23:37 -0500

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Re: Maintaining old code genew@mindlink.bc.ca (1996-02-13)
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From: genew@mindlink.bc.ca (Gene Wirchenko)
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 13 Feb 1996 19:23:37 -0500
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
References: 96-01-116 96-02-108
Keywords: C, Fortran

gmckee@cloudnine.com (Gary McKee) wrote:


[snipped previous posters' comments]


>Your comment certainly substantiates my (implied) assertion about the
>maintainability of C language code. I agree that gcc and etc. are
>valuable and popular but this has little to do with how maintainable
>they are.


          True.


>Incidentally, I saw similar comments and code obfuscations when
>maintaining Fortran IV code 20 years ago. It is depressing that the
>FSF sponsored code products haven't been designed, implemented, and
>maintained at a higher level of professionalism than what was common
>in 1976.


          FSF does not define the C language. They can only implement it.
I'll grant that C has some elements that are well short of optimum,
but try writing a C compiler without them.


>What's that latin phrase about "the more things change, the more they
>seem the same" ?


          That's "stay" not "seem" AFAIK.
          Software systems are much more complex these days. We are
pushing the envelope continually. That stays the same. Come up with
a paradigm and sooner or later, someone will try to go past it.


Sincerely,


Gene Wirchenko
--

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