Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!hacgate!ashtate!dbase!awd From: awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: Problem with LSC 4.0 debugger. Summary: I'm drawing unnecessary fire here Message-ID: <267@dbase.UUCP> Date: 2 Oct 89 04:32:05 GMT References: <85031@pyramid.pyramid.com> <244@dbase.UUCP> <1989Sep29.032130.24399@NCoast.ORG> Distribution: na Organization: Ashton Tate Devlopment Center Glendale, Calif. Lines: 31 I'm taking all kinds of heat from this group for flaming the first guy who posted that the THINK C debugger should display (and modify) the automatic variables of caller's stack frames. I was jerk--I thought the fellow that made this request didn't understand scope of reference. One peculiar phenomenon has been private e-hatemail. When you post to the net that this or that idea is stupid, let's face it, you're trying to look smart to your peers. Second, you're educating people, but my point is that it's only human to criticize the ideas of others in public. In private, one-on-one email, however, I don't understand the desire for ad hominem attacks. "Jane, you ignorant slut" is fine on network t.v., but what's the point when you're mailing directly to Jane? Now that I understand that most if not all of the people who want this feature in the THINK C debugger do understand the concepts involved, I'm satisfied that we have a difference of opinion, not of fact. I stand behind my statement that this feature is not high on my personal wish list. This mail follows up a posting by a well-meaning fellow who describes 'sdb' and 'dbx'. I use dbx at work, and I've played with a windowing version on a Sun--it's very nice, and, yes, I'm aware that dbx has the feature under debate. It would be wonderful if THINK C could be everything to everyone; I'd like a world without tradeoffs. All I am adding to this debate is my personal opinion that I'd sooner see some of the features of cfront (c++) before I'd have Kahl et al implement dbx on a Mac Plus, ok? Flame on me all you want in public, but please don't track me down where I live. Thank you. /alastair/