trb (11/08/82)
I just got a glossy flyer from Computing Technology Group - Telemedia
("our business is UNIX training"). The entire point of the flyer was
to advertise their UNIX training courses. They used an ACTUAL C CODE
example in their ad, enticing to us hacker types. Here it is:
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Why won't this "C" program output the correct value?
main()
{
float f = 2.5;
printf("%d\n",f);
}
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Not intuitively obvious to the most casual observer; a good example,
right? They go on to explain about different types, casting, and how C
is a type-oriented language, etc... Now, let me quote further:
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The recommended solution to the printf "problem" is:
main()
{
float f = 2.5;
printf("%d\n",(int)f);
}
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If I were a beginner, I would be as puzzled by the output of the
second piece of code as I would be by the first.
The above seems to exemplify the mentality of a certain
portion of the consulting populace, who are more interested
in raking in the big bucks than in doing a proper job.
Feh.
Andy Tannenbaum Bell Labs Whippany, NJ (201) 386-6491