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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: "C" wish list.
Message-ID: <6117@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 20:14:09 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6117
Posted: Mon Nov  4 20:14:09 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 4-Nov-85 20:14:09 EST
References: <335@graffiti.UUCP> <6071@utzoo.UUCP>, <367@graffiti.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 30

> > ...  It's also of limited (although non-zero) usefulness.
> 
> So are enums, and they're there...

Right you are, they're there.  They are ALREADY THERE.  This is a key
distinction.  Somewhat silly though they are, they are in the language
and in real implementations of it already.  This is a strong reason why
they should be kept while other mildly interesting notions aren't.
Actually, I understand that there was a significant faction within X3J11
that wanted to scrap them anyway.

> Because, once again, it's a straightforward extension of current syntax.

Many things are straightforward extensions of current syntax.  That is
not necessarily a virtue.

> Question: doesn't anyone else have a wish-list of their own?

Yeah, the following:

1. A published C standard standardizing the EXISTING LANGUAGE, that is to
	say K&R and not much else, with everyone's pet neat ideas LEFT OUT.
	I class the current X3J11 drafts as only marginally meeting this
	specification; there has been some creeping featurism.

2. A shift to suggesting neat ideas for C++ (or C++++), leaving C alone as
	a stable base.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry