Re: Lack of formal syntax undermines Ada

[John McCabe <john@nospam.assen.demon.co.uk.nospam>]

"(see below)" <yaldnif.w@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

>>>> Bill - as a matter of interest, are you the "Findlay & Watt" Pascal
>>>> bloke?
>>> 
>>> Indeed I am.
>>> 
>>> Also the "Watt, Wichmann and Findlay" Ada Bloke. 8-)
>> 
>> That was after my time, I studied Electronics at Glasgow Uni 1983-87,
>
>"Watt, Wichmann and Findlay" came out in '87 (so long ago!),
>but I take your point.
>
>> and we were taught Pascal by the computing department using your book
>> - Second Edition!
>
>I know.
>We've had this conversation here in c.l.a before, you know.
>And, unlike me, you are too young to be having a "senior moment".
>8-)

What, me and you? Weird! It's been a long time since I was on here
regularly though, so easily forgotten :-)

>Did you use cards on the ICL 2976 for your labs?

No. We used a VAX. I vaguely remember we may have used cards once, in
83, but I think that was for FORTRAN! As a matter of interest, have I
already asked you if you could remember who we might have been taught
by? It was an old, miserable guy who wore tweed a lot as far as I can
remember.

>Unlike the first edition of "Pascal", which we typeset and made the
>camera-ready copy for ourselves, using nroff and a Diablo Hytype daisywheel
>printer, the 2nd was "professionally" typeset at the publisher's insistence.

>They inserted a space between the ':' and the '=' of every assignment,
>and proceeded to expand it to arbitrary widths by justifying every line.
>Virtually every page of the galleys had to be re-set.

LOL - Nightmare!