SPOCK%CALSTATE.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Commander Spock) (12/14/88)
Although I have been in the UNIX community for some time now, I haven't
(Lord help me here) worked with 'C' during my experiences with UNIX. In
about the next few months, a couple of professors will be offering a class
on the language 'C' and a question was raised whether or not to use UNIX.
Now here is the question: what is the significant difference between using
UNIX (AT&T SysV and/or BSD 4.3) 'C' versus an IBM Tubro 'C' (Borland) or
a Macintosh Lightspeed 'C' (Symmetry)? Is there a significant difference
other than tase and preferences, or is there signifnificantly more involved?
I have heard from other students and faculty members alike that have worked
with 'C' that the UNIX 'C' is by far the most versatile and portable
version available. However, students may not want to learn UNIX, not to
mention 'C', without having the creature-comforts of MS-DOS.
Can anyone out there with 'C' experience help me in this situation?
Spock INTERNET: cbds080@ccs.csuscc.calstate.edu
BITNET: cbds080@calstatedebra@alice.UUCP (Paul De Bra) (12/15/88)
In article <17801@adm.BRL.MIL> SPOCK%CALSTATE.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Commander Spock) writes: ]Although I have been in the UNIX community for some time now, I haven't ](Lord help me here) worked with 'C' during my experiences with UNIX. In ]about the next few months, a couple of professors will be offering a class ]on the language 'C' and a question was raised whether or not to use UNIX. ] ]Now here is the question: what is the significant difference between using ]UNIX (AT&T SysV and/or BSD 4.3) 'C' versus an IBM Tubro 'C' (Borland) or ]a Macintosh Lightspeed 'C' (Symmetry)? Is there a significant difference ]other than tase and preferences, or is there signifnificantly more involved? ]I have heard from other students and faculty members alike that have worked ]with 'C' that the UNIX 'C' is by far the most versatile and portable ]version available. However, students may not want to learn UNIX, not to ]mention 'C', without having the creature-comforts of MS-DOS. ] ]Can anyone out there with 'C' experience help me in this situation? ] I have heard that several good implementations of C exist for PCs and Macs. The only significant differences are that system calls related to user-id's, process-id's, piping, etc. don't make real good sense in a single-user, single-tasking environment. All the nice environment fodder can't make up for that. The most important problem for students learning C on Unix is that they may start loving the Unix environment so much that they feel the need to trash their home-computer in order to get a machine that supports Unix. Imagine: no more ridiculous icon-based operations, no more MS-DOG syntax, but a pure and simple interface (in which it only takes a 4 character command-line to remove all your files) combined with the most versatile and user-configurable editor (GNU-Emacs of course). It's not the language that makes the difference, it's the operating environment. Paul. -- ------------------------------------------------------ |debra@research.att.com | uunet!research!debra | ------------------------------------------------------
PAAAAAR%CALSTATE.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (12/21/88)
I taught C last Fall quarter. I provided a UNIX (BSD) account for all
but allowed students a free choice of which C they used for their work.
The class split into BSD C vs Macintash vs LIghtspeed rather rapidly plus
a single ATARI C (out on a limb!).
The Macintosh C's have definite problems with command lines.
All the C's differed in ther interpretation of 1.0/0.0 and the like.
The libraries (#includes) were all different.
All students used the UNIX mail system to submit work and the grading
for the class specified that the code HAD TO BE OK on the PDP UNIX.
Nobody had any real problems (accept for having to kludge a command line
interface for the Macintosh people.)
I guess that this shows that the differences were largely matters of
taste etc. How evre a number of the MS/DOS are starting to look for
UNIX-like alternatives....One asked me which came first and when I pointed
out that UNIX was born in 1968..1969 he ceased talking to me...
Dick Botting
PAAAAAR@CCS.CSUSCC.CALSTATE(doc-dick)
paaaaar@calstate.bitnet
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