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From: ndiamond@watdaisy.UUCP (Norman Diamond)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: Standardization
Message-ID: <7025@watdaisy.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 3-Mar-85 16:00:17 EST
Article-I.D.: watdaisy.7025
Posted: Sun Mar  3 16:00:17 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 06:35:28 EST
References: <322@gumby.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 26

> Conflicting standards within a domain DO negate each other's worth WITHIN
> that domain.  Oh, sure, you can have an ISO standard Pascal, an ANSI standard
> Pascal, etc....but this still leaves you without a  STANDARD
> PASCAL.  Within their respective domains, both of the above ARE standard.
> But how about in the enclosing domain of "Pascal users, generally?"  The
> original context was that there is no unified standard.

The standards for Pascal are much closer together than the standards for Unix.
Let's see, Unix and C have only been evolving for around 16 years, and C is
close to being standardized.  Pascal has been around for about, oh 16 years,
and is a little bit closer to being standardized.  Interesting though, current
and historical implementations of Pascal have fewer variations than for C.

Another analogy:  In North America, the residential standard for electricity
is around 120 volts, 60 cycles.  In Europe, it is around 220 or 240 volts,
50 cycles.  OK, in the enclosing domain, there's no standard.  Electricity
should not be used until this situation is remedied.
-- 

   Norman Diamond

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"Opinions are those of the keyboard, and do not reflect on me or higher-ups."