Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!cbmvax!grr From: grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) Newsgroups: comp.lang.c Subject: Re: ANSI C Message-ID: <1114@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> Date: Sun, 14-Dec-86 22:09:40 EST Article-I.D.: cbmvax.1114 Posted: Sun Dec 14 22:09:40 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Dec-86 19:03:07 EST References: <1340@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA Lines: 31 In article <1340@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> jon@cit-vax.UUCP (Jon Leech) writes: > > I would be interested in hearing answers to these questions from >people who have experience with other standardized languages (eg F77): > > i) How long after the standard is put out does it take for > compilers to come out which support it? In the micro world, some compilers are already supporting many of the ANSI C features. Standards that effectively say 'these parts of the IBM Fortran Compiler are Standard' are obviously pretty quick acting. Others, like the Codasyl (?) COBOL group that work on future COBOL standards take years even to be felt. It should also be pointed out that despite all the fuss and bother, some well intentioned standards never really catch on in the real world. > ii) How long does it take for essentially ALL compilers to support > it; i.e., is it reasonable to expect to write a truly > portable program in ANSI C before 1990 or some such? A long, long time. It's not obvious how long it will take AT&T and Berkeley to adopt the new ANSI features, especially those that might break existing code (non-portable code in unix is more common than you might think). It can take a lot longer for the computer system vendors and other third parties that start with AT&T or BSD to get the stuff out to their customers. -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)