bb@wjh12.UUCP (byer) (05/07/85)
J Shapiro first points out that source code formatters could be employed to adapt other folks' code to one's own preferred style. Fine. But then ... > ... I am not an OS hacker, and on those occasions when I am > obliged to look at UNIX code I am sickened by the lack of clarity of > the expression of the thoughts behind the code. ... Bite your tongue, man. I had the (technical) pleasure of learning the Unix kernel from hard-copy source listings in fall of 1973, vintage version 4. Yes, the code was uncommented, but it was clean!! In fact, I found it extremely enlightening to digest such functionality with such (relative) ease. My point here: Please do not tarnish the skills and efforts of `ken' & `dmr' !! It was all of us who are to blame for turning that gem into the clutter it is now. (Hey, I still like Unix; just glad I don't have to maintain it now.) Brent Byer (ihnp4!ihesa!textware!brent) ------ And, who is that ugly dwarf with his hand in your mouth? ------
jss@sjuvax.UUCP (J. Shapiro) (05/12/85)
> > > ... I am not an OS hacker, and on those occasions when I am > > obliged to look at UNIX code I am sickened by the lack of clarity of > > the expression of the thoughts behind the code. ... > > Bite your tongue, man. > > I had the (technical) pleasure of learning the Unix kernel from > hard-copy source listings in fall of 1973, vintage version 4. > Yes, the code was uncommented, but it was clean!! > > My point here: Please do not tarnish the skills and efforts > of `ken' & `dmr' !! It was all of us who are to blame for > turning that gem into the clutter it is now. Where can I go for a v4 distribution??? V6 was pretty damn good. T&R did a good implementation, but that us not what is currently commonly considered UNIX, e.g. System III, System V, or 4.1 BSD or 4.2 BSD or 2.9 BSD... Current code is a mess, and I have had the (technical) displeasure of learning it by debugging..... T&R had a lot of good and clear ideas, which is why K&R's books are so clear. They still have a lot of good ideas. I claim that those people currently responsible for commercial distributions of UNIX don't have any appreciation for the elegance of simplicity that T&R have. My initial comment stands, with the appropriate modifier that it applies to current distributions.