Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site othervax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!micomvax!othervax!ray From: ray@othervax.UUCP (Raymond D. Dunn) Newsgroups: net.lang.c Subject: Re: HARRIS FLAME Re: SHORT vs. INT Message-ID: <700@othervax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 16:49:32 EDT Article-I.D.: othervax.700 Posted: Tue Sep 24 16:49:32 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 27-Sep-85 06:40:31 EDT References: <1390@brl-tgr.ARPA> <2778@sun.uucp> <519@lasspvax.UUCP> <2803@sun.uucp> <699@othervax.UUCP> <658@bu-cs.UUCP> Reply-To: ray@othervax.UUCP (Raymond D. Dunn) Followup-To: net.lang.c Organization: Philips Information Systems - St. Laurent P.Q., Canada Lines: 47 Summary: There are more things in heaven and earth..... In article <658@bu-cs.UUCP> root@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) writes: >>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. >>... >> .......... very few >>software projects can afford to schedule "extra" time for designing in, and >>testing, the portability of code..... > >Astounding! .....etc etc. > >.......... Sit down and extrapolate the life span of a processor >coming to market today (hint: it's shrinking.)* > >.... etc. etc. > -Barry Shein, Boston University > Astounding indeed! Its quite amazing how people lead with their jaws! I don't want to comment on the tone of the above flame to my posting, only that: a) There are more things in heaven and earth..... b) The lifespan (thanks for hint) of *products* is such that *every* practical shortcut (commensurate with a professional product) must be taken to ensure the market window is hit. The marketing department waiting to release a product is not going to take a cut in salary while you ensure your program will run on the *next* piece of hardware! Now lets try and keep things in perspective. *Of course* their are various nuances involved here! Aren't there always! Nothing is *ever* black and white! This medium we correspond in has (amongst many others) one major flaw - opinions often come over as extreme (more extreme from some contributors than from others (:-)), because what takes 30 seconds to say, and to moderate, and to give examples of, and exceptions to, takes a bl**dy long time to type, and usually gets distilled down into a few sparse statements. So for crying out load, show some respect for the intelligence/knowledge/ experience of others, even if it differs from your own, and think before you type! (and I include myself as a target of these remarks). Ray Dunn. ..philabs!micomvax!othervax!ray