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From: mpl@sfsup.UUCP (M.P.Lindner)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c,sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: "C" vrs ADA
Message-ID: <1902@sfsup.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Aug-87 10:17:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: sfsup.1902
Posted: Fri Aug 21 10:17:55 1987
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References: <1065@vu-vlsi.UUCP> <253@etn-rad.UUCP>
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In article <253@etn-rad.UUCP>, jru@etn-rad.UUCP writes:
> 
> 	  The C language evolved at AT&T in the process of developing the
> 	  UNIX operating system. There were, beleive it or not, an A language
> 	  and a B language that preceded it. Finally with the C language the
> 	  original developer of the UNIX operating system (which was done on
> 	  a PDP-7 microcomputer) felt that he had what he wanted.

C was designed and implemented (originally) by Dennis Ritchie.  It was
designed as a systems programming language - something suitable for writing
applications like operating systems, compilers, utilities, and the like.
There was no "A".  Its evolution is FORTRAN -> BCPL -> B -> C (which leads
to speculation as to whether C's successor will be called "D" from "ABCD..."
or "P" form BCPL).  "B" was written by Ken Thompson, and BCPL by Martin
Richards, (and of course FORTRAN by Bachus (sp), so the ideas were *not*
that of one person.

> 	  moderately structured language , with a syntax that was similar
> 	  to the UNIX c shell (or vice versa). As UNIX gained wide acceptance

The "C" shell came much later - C predates UNIX, which predates the Bourne
shell, which predates the "C" shell.

> 	  in computer languages. C is now widely available outside the 
> 	  UNIX community and is a defacto standard with many companies. 
> 	  It is often the case in military/aerospace procurements that in
> 	  order to generalize the request for computer hardware so as not
> 	  to sole source a single vendor the government will ask for UNIX
> 	  because it is the only operating system that can be had on a 
> 	  non-proprietary basis on a variety of computer hardware. UNIX of
> 	  course brings C right along with it.

how true...

> 	  Because UNIX does not handle real-time applications (such as
> 	  interrupt handling) very well, and because there was no non-

whoah there! UNIX may not be real-time, but C certainly is.  Therefore I
claim that it made sense to develop a real-time operating system standard
(which was not done) rather than a language/environment standard (which
was done).

> 	  computer, she was rumored to be the first person to ever write
> 	  a program on punched cards- why her name is appropriate for a
> 	  real-time language is a mystery). If you are interested in the

I think her name is entirely appropriate for Ada, the "punch card" philospohy
language of the 80's.

> 	  satisfy the dogmatic prejudices of computer-science weenies.

oh yeah? :{)

Mike Lindner
...!ihnp4!attunix!mpl