Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cyb-eng.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!cyb-eng!bc From: bc@cyb-eng.UUCP (Bill Crews) Newsgroups: net.lang.c Subject: Re: HARRIS FLAME Re: SHORT vs. INT Message-ID: <720@cyb-eng.UUCP> Date: Sun, 22-Sep-85 21:26:54 EDT Article-I.D.: cyb-eng.720 Posted: Sun Sep 22 21:26:54 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 10:07:41 EDT References: <1390@brl-tgr.ARPA> <2778@sun.uucp> <519@lasspvax.UUCP> <2803@sun.uucp>, <699@othervax.UUCP> <658@bu-cs.UUCP> Organization: Cyb Systems, Austin, TX Lines: 35 > >From: ray@othervax.UUCP (Raymond D. Dunn) > > > >It is intersting to note in the discussions re short, longs etc. that > >portability seems to be regarded as a major reason-d'etre for much > >coding activity. > > > >All very well if portability can become ingrained in our way of thinking > >just as block-structuring has now become (to some), but it should be noted > >that in this big bad commercial world we (some of us) live in, very few > >software projects can afford to schedule "extra" time for designing in, and > >testing, the portability of code. Yes, in the long run, it is maybe > >worthwhile, but often it falls into the same category as generalising your > >code as opposed to making it specific - a good thing to do, but often > >commercially/practically unjustified. > > Astounding! I guess you have a right to your opinion, what company do > you work for and exactly what processor is your code tied to so I know > exactly when to sell short on your stock? DEC-20? IBM7094? Z80? TIMEX/1000? > DEC-10? 8008? PDP-8? DG/NOVA? SDS(XDS)? need I go on.... > > -Barry Shein, Boston University Once again, another case of a person assuming that everyone's circumstances are the same as his. Some assumptions hurt no one but the assumer until unjustified flames start crossing the net. I am *certainly* not going to take up the case for nonportable coding, but I will *sure* argue that the degree to which portability is a factor in a given development effort is a decision for the development team, not one for Barry Shein, way over there in Boston! -- / \ Bill Crews ( bc ) Cyb Systems, Inc \__/ Austin, Texas [ gatech | ihnp4 | nbires | seismo | ucbvax ] ! ut-sally ! cyb-eng ! bc