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From: Mark Lundquist <mark@rational.com>
Subject: Re: Ada vs. C/C++ (was re: bitwise something-or-other)
Date: 2000/01/21
Message-ID: <388940A0.19D4DA60@rational.com>#1/1
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Date: 2000-01-21T00:00:00+00:00
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Once again, I am the first (maybe only) person to follow up on my _own_
posting... how pathetic, how typical... :-)

But some editorial corrections are in order...

Mark Lundquist (c'est moi) wrote:

> ...

> 1) I assume we're talking about C here, not C++.  I think C++ is a lot harder
> to learn than Ada, because     while it's roughly the same in "size", it has a
> lot of deep concepts (like "const correctness", linkage, etc.) that are not
> only arcane, but are hightly cross-coupled, so that you kind of have to
> understand all of it and keep your brain wrapped around it all in order to
> really get any of it right.

The following should have been in parentheses, because... well, it's
parenthetical!  It reads as if I thought Alex were arguing a particular point
(viz. C knowledge making it easier to learn C++) and I'm arguing back against
it.  But he wasn't arguing that, so don't get me wrong.  Some people have argued
this (in fact it's one of the "core values" of C++), but like I said... in this
context, it's parenthetical.

>  For this reason, I don't think knowing C gives
> one any real advantage when it comes to learning C++ vs. learning Ada.
> Instead, what it gives you is a false sense that "I'm already halfway there",
> which gives you the hope you need to keep trying to learn the screwy
> language!  You're not really halfway there, but it helps to think you
> are... :-)

OK, next...

> So, we have:
>
> In Ada                                 In C
> -----                                 ---
>
> packages                              "header file / implementation file"
> convention
>
> private types                        ???
>
> exceptions                            "you can program it",
> setjmp()/longjmp(), whatever
>
> generics                                structs & callbacks
>
> tasks                                      threads

My little table was obligingly reformatted by Netscape :-( so it came out all
screwy.Row 1 column 1 should read "packages", and row 1 column 2 should read
"'header file / implementation file' convention".  Row 3, column 2 should read
"'you can program it', setjmp()/longjmp(), whatever".
(Note, the row and column numbers start at 1... :-) sorry, very bad joke...)

-- Mark