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Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 15:45:50 -0500
From: Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com>
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Subject: Re: Certified C compilers for safety-critical embedded systems
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Date: 2004-01-06T15:45:50-05:00
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Kelly Hall wrote:
> As for the C preprocessor, why not use m4 instead?  Why would anyone want to
> use the C preprocessor on Ada programs when there are other, better,
> just-as-free, macro processors available?

Because they already use the C preprocessor for C, and for IDL, and for
X Window resource files, and perhaps for other things, while they have
never even heard of m4. Because the configuration information with which
they hope to filter their Ada source code already exists in the form of
system header files in C preprocessor format.

> As for smart editors that aren't smart enough, I'd suggest upgrading to
> something smarter or downgrading to something dumber.  Emacs and vi should
> both work fine.

As I said, it's an obstacle. Obstacles aren't insurmountable, just annoying.

> Is it common for developers to have their programming language selection
> determined by the limitations of their text editor?

It's common for people to load up files in whatever editor they happen to
be using at the moment. The scattered single quotes are going to look funny,
and people are going to think it's an odd choice, once they realize that
quoted strings aren't being delimited.

> If you want to argue against Ada, you should find a better argument than "my
> editor is broken".

Why would I want to argue against Ada?