Re: What should this do?

[jls@netcom.COM (Jim Showalter)]

>>A nifty compiler could play all sorts of
>>games with mutable records to make them grow or shrink dynamically.
>>As it is, a typical compiler simply allocates as much space as COULD
              ^^^^^^^
>>be needed, and lets it go at that.

>Hmmm. This is not quite correct, Jim, regarding space allocation. For
>example,

[several counter-examples of compilers that do a nifty job of storage
 management for mutable records deleted]

I'm probably suffering from obsolete data. Early compilers were notorious
for using the largest size a mutable record could be in all cases. It
looks as if the definition of "typical" compiler has changed for the better,
and I've been buried so deep in the specifics of Rational's products for
the past four years that I am out of touch with what the rest of the market
has been up to.

Gotta get out more...
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