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