physh@unicom.UUCP (Jon 'Quality in - Quantity out' Foreman) (01/27/88)
In article <7181@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: > The issue of difficulty in implementing the specifications correctly > doesn't bother me much. It doesn't? It *really* should! > It is unlikely that there are more than a few > hundred people in the world who could reasonably be expected to produce > a high-quality C implementation anyway, and most of the ones who will > be (or are) attempting to implement the ANSI C specifications either are > on the Committee or have sufficient contacts with Committee members who > can answer questions about some of the subtler points. Apparently in order to implement the standard as specified, you *have* to know one of the members of the ANSI committee. I would never have expected such a high handed remark from someone trying to create a standard. I *know* that I can implement a C compiler, but maybe not quite as well as you. Is the implication here that it would be impossible to generate a ANSI conforming compiler because I don't know you or one of your friends? The only reason for coming up with a standard at all is so that people can have some reference work to find the way. A standard is like a map. Maps aren't useful if you have to *know* the person who drew it. Luckly, I know better. The committee members wouldn't have put so much work into this for just a note on their resumes. The standard should be written so that the little green man can come down from Mars, get a copy of the standard and go home and implement his C compiler, without having to contact a member of the ANSI C committee to find out stuff. It can't possibly be that difficult to make a standard readable and clear, even if you have to do everything by example. If you can implement a C compiler, it seems reasonable that you should be able to document it. Jon Foreman -- ucbvax!pixar!\ | For small letters | ~~~~~~~\~~~ That's spelled hoptoad!well!unicom!physh | ( < 10K ) only: | Jon }() "physh" and ptsfa!/ | physh@ssbn.wlk.com | / pronounced "fish".