This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (281 messages)
'simple in Ada … a pain in C … what kinds of things' Multitasking, object assignment (eg a:=b; where a and b are structures or arrays, not just ints or chars, with the compiler generating REP MOVs as appropriate), dynamic array sizes, multi (vs static/not static) level name space, the…
Hi Tom, Hmm, OK. I stand (sit!) corrected. I certainly agree that the more "fiddly" the project is, the more "low-level" your language has to be to cope with it. I'm sure you already know that the more "low-level" your language is, the more responsibility is bestowed on the programmer…
Hi, Mike. I think the single largest cost factor at the time, which justified the use of the 8088, was the cost of making circuit boards that could handle the extra address lines. That technology (multi-layers, fine tracks) was very expensive back then. –Mark
I would slightly amend your statements: The news is that *any high level language* is _already_ … … is great for structured programming but when you need to do "fiddly" things, *assembly* is definitely the language of choice. C allows *the same kind as assembly of* integration of modules ……
Tom, The news is that C is _already_ much more proliferant than assembly because it's much easier to understand, and you get to do less work for the same result. The compiler does all the dirty work for you and looks after such things as registers and segments. Some compilers…
Tom, I can safely say that the language of use in 20 years will look like nothing any of use can predict. Hopefully it will be a language that takes the best of the current languages, and drops the worst of those languages. Though I would say that C will…
I'd venture that in 20 years C will be used as much as assembly is today. Large programs (unfortunately the wave of the future) will be written in a more structured language that will probably be a Pascal descendant.
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Message #43831
And conversely… -Mike-
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Message #43827
I think 8086 chips were available first. The 8088 was supposed to appeal to cost- sensitive designers. Using an 8088 saved a lot of complicated and expensive byte swap hardware on memory boards. The 8088 and 8086 have the same basic architecture, and use the same addressing scheme. Software can't…
Rud, Because the C cross compiler (for which we had paid about $7500) couldn't handle certain syntax errors and crashed when it encountered them. The point is that I don't think my co-workers would be real happy if I inadvertantly tried to compile such a program while they were in…
jon Why are you getting a core dump except because something needs debugging? Rud
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Message #43749
Phil But the criticisms in this thread have been about Intel's decision almost 15 years ago to implement a 20 bit address. This expanded the addressing tremendously for that time. To critisize by todays standards is improper. Rud
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Message #43729
Rud, Thanks for the reply. Interesting food for thought and research. Now it's time for me to roll up my sleeves and start roughing out my paper. When the rough draft is done, I'll probably be poking around for some more enlightment. Thanks again. James
Remember to choose your book title carefully or you won't be able to sell to the ones who are incarcerated. They can't receive programming materials so you should probably title it something like "Blueprint for Murder"…
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Message #43707
>> OS protection is a *debugging* aid, not a crutch. That may be true in an embedded or single user system but I don't think unix would be as successful as it is if every core dump (of which I've had many, including commercial compilers) caused the entire system to…
#Age and Programming
Message #43705
Ken, Unfortunately, we seem to be becoming a nation of illiterates. I have a couple of contrary indications, however. First, CI$, among its other virtues, has made literacy more useful, as all of the interactions are carried on through the written form of language. As educators in the language arts…
[Continued] C will also perform conversions from one variable type to another when it can, at times when pascal would throw up its arms in horror. This has its pros and cons. Sometimes the conversion is OK and your results are as expected. Other times a conversion results in the…
#Pascal or C++ ?
Message #43703
Hi David, I dunno if this is any help, but here goes: I'm proficient in both Pascal and C (not C++). I've written large programs in both lanuages and if I were to make a choice between the two, I'd choose C. I learnt Pascal first and have about 4…
Age and Programming
Message #43694
Well, I think that one of the reasons that we need debuggers less is simply experience – we don't code the same common errors anymore. I spend a fair amount of time inside of gdb and the kernel debugger these days – but I'm doing some *large* and complex code…
#39974-
XSHP20.ZIP Problem?
Message #39986
I'll check and let you know. — Mf
I am sorry to hear that. Do you happen to know who would be familiar with his September 1988 benchmarking of Modula-2 compilers? I am still looking for the source for Dhrystone. Thanks, jason
Good idea John. Why not suggest it to the sysops.
Dale – GoodLuck If you need a beta tester with C experince look me up. I monitor this forum and serval others. .Jr..
LOGICL.ASC
Message #24603
I again downloaded LOGICL.ASC and it still has garbage in it. I've downloaded it using several methods (the last time with TAPCIS using COMPUSERVE B+) and all downloads are the same. So, I'm sure that it's not my download. The actual file seems to be corrupt. Could you please upload…
DOS CALL TRACING?
Message #24600
Is there a TSR which intercepts all DOS calls and writes the call and register information to disk? We use quaid analyzer but this requires stepping through the program and tracing in real time. Thanks
please do it !!!
If I recall, the source for Small C was included in "Doctor Dobb's Toolbook of C", (which I saw at the library, it may be out of print 😉
I run QNX, and the DTK's do not run QNX – something to do with the NEAT chipset. DTK are looking into the problem, but I haven't heard anything about how they are progressing.
You're right, it's a hole in the design. However, you can approximate the latency by building some code around a forced interrupt call to see what the overhead in the kernel is for a simple task switch. Not accurate, but it will get you within an order of magnitude.
#24574-
Enquiry
Message #24594
Hoo-boy. There isn't one in the public domain yet – except for G++ from the Free Software Foundation – and that is a full blown compiler that weighs in at 5 mbytes of code. Far too big to post here!
I'll see what I can do, although I'm not going to be able to unarchive anything until my new machine gets here later this week. (I'm running on floppies, due to a sick disk!)
Yes indeed. Prices are 59.95 US for overseas mail, write to Box 56188, Boulder, Colorado, 80322-6188, U.S.A for a subscription.
Even better than saying in Compuserve that the listings will be late, how about admitting it right up front–in the magazine itself in that boilerplate paragraph that you put at the end of the articles. If you had told me the listings could be expected in 2-3 months or maybe…
Stan Jeff's User ID is 76117,1426. He checks his mail nearly every day. JIM
OK, thanks! I'll take a look!… – Troy
Troy, Since DDJ now sells the Small C package, I doubt that you'll find it on this forum. I seem to remember seeing it somewhere tho….maybe CPMSIG? BYTE also has a version of Small C avalable. You might want to check with BYTE Books. JIM
why not have a subtopic for "late program listings" so the questions don't get posted in the general topic? THe regulars can switch out that topic. Or better yet, include a note in the Welcome screen, so people who log in just to ask about listings will know the current…
Where is Jeff?
Message #24585
Thanks Jon
Listings
Message #24583
I sympathize with the demands of publishing a magazine and maintaining a forum like this, and I hesitate to bring up the issue of listings again; but it occurs to me that if the listings are a full quarter behind that you could probably use some help. I am sure…
April: kabooom.c
Message #24582
I'd like to download kabooom.c mentioned in Examining Room–Cruising With TopSpeed, April 90. According to various mentions in the magazine, it may be available somewhere here, but I can't find it. Can you help? I'd like source code.
Kevin, If you read the older messages on the board, you will find that you are only the millionth person with the same question. 🙂 Briefly, the listings go from CA to NY by snail mail, and are then checked against the printed magazine and uploaded by someone for whom,…
#Where is Jeff?
Message #24579
I'd like to send a message directly to Jeff Duntemann (the Structured Programming columnist for Dr. Dobb's) does he have a CIS PPN or can you route a message to him from here? Thanks, -Stan
Picture Formats
Message #24578
Does anyone have information on the SPEG (Static Pictures Expert Group) and MPEG (Motion ….) formats? I believe these are the successors to the FAX standards already in place. Thanks.
#Apr. 90 Listings
Message #24577
I'm new in this forum, and am trying to find the listing for the April, 1990 issue, specifically the listing for the articles dealing with neural networks. Article stated that the listings were available here, but upon searching ALL of the LIBS, found nothing later than Jan. 90. Can anyone…
I have a 25MHz DTK 386 board with the 64K cache. It seems to work well with all my stuff. I only have 8Mb in it, so I don't know how it works with the full 16MB (including the daughterboard). Rahner
DICTIONARY
Message #24575
Carlos, I believe Microlytics has an OEM package available. And I know Houghton Mifflin does. As to whether you or I could afford them … Regards, …Flash P.S. If you do find out anything, could you let us know? Thanks!
Don – As the DOS wizard at work (Nobody else here has the books and tools I do so I got the pointy hat and robes ) I can steal a bit of time at work, but mainly I work on stuff like this nights or evenings. (I'm single and…
Ctree Examples
Message #24572
I have recently purchased Ctree and Rtree from Faircom. The documentation and program disks do not contain sample applications. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where on CompuServe one might find information on this? CB
Louis – My pain threshold increases at about the SQUARE of the rate of the price. And thats doublely true when it has to come from my pocket. .Jr.
#Small C Source Code
Message #24570
I'm looking for the source code for the Small C compiler, and am rather surprised that I haven't been able to locate it using IBM File Finder OR by searching individual forums. Since Small C originated with DDJ, perhaps I'll have better luck here — can someone please point me…
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