From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 10ad19,23963231b5359f74 X-Google-Attributes: gid10ad19,public X-Google-Thread: 101deb,23963231b5359f74 X-Google-Attributes: gid101deb,public X-Google-Thread: 1073c2,23963231b5359f74 X-Google-Attributes: gid1073c2,public X-Google-Thread: 10a146,23963231b5359f74 X-Google-Attributes: gid10a146,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,23963231b5359f74 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 107a89,23963231b5359f74 X-Google-Attributes: gid107a89,public X-Google-Thread: 11440e,23963231b5359f74 X-Google-Attributes: gid11440e,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-27 06:50:05 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!news-out.visi.com!hermes.visi.com!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!newscon02.news.prodigy.com!newsmst01.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.com!postmaster.news.prodigy.com!not-for-mail From: Gary Scott Newsgroups: comp.lang.ruby,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.awk,comp.lang.clarion,comp.lang.java.programmer,comp.lang.pl1,comp.lang.vrml Subject: Re: Long names are doom ? Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 08:53:31 -0500 Organization: Home Message-ID: <3B1106DB.27A5223D@flash.net> References: <3B0DBD4A.82943473@my-deja.net> Reply-To: scottg@flash.net NNTP-Posting-Host: 64-48-222-147-ftw-01.cvx.algx.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: newssvr06-en0.news.prodigy.com 990971283 6242077 64.48.222.147 (27 May 2001 13:48:03 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@prodigy.net NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 13:48:03 +0000 (UTC) X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.73 [en]C-DIAL (Win98; U) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ruby:9998 comp.lang.ada:7813 comp.lang.awk:2617 comp.lang.clarion:20420 comp.lang.java.programmer:71130 comp.lang.pl1:668 comp.lang.vrml:3349 Date: 2001-05-27T08:53:31-05:00 List-Id: Hi, I think that none of these points being made were lost on the language committee. Fortran does not specify the MAXIMUM length of identifiers, it specifies the MINIMUM length that must be supported by a compiler. Some compilers support "infinite" length names. Some compiler vendors were also against extremely long names because it would have severely broken their existing compiler (complete redesign required). The minimum length of 31 was likely chosen for C compatibility. There unfortunately has always been a war between factions that want to make Fortran more "general purpose" and those that want to retain (hold back (er limit compiler complexity)) its niche status in the numerical computation arena. Mathematical algorithms with extremely long names used as variables are usually less clear. Math is highly symbolic/mnemonic oriented. Most scientists and engineers (i.e. "non-professional"-programmers) are extremely comfortable with abbreviations/symbols/mnemonics. I personally like the shorter limit, but I WOULD like to see some sort of a name ALIAS facility for externals to aid interfacing with other languages (that decorate names, or with otherwise different naming rules, or that allow characters within a name that Fortran does not allow, etc). Tom Spilman wrote: > > People will abuse language features no matter what precautions are taken > by the language designers. Limiting maximum length for identifiers for > reasons other than technical limits or ease of implementation is naive and > forces an unnecessary constraint for legitimate uses. Tom > > "00001111" <00001111@my-deja.net> wrote in message > news:3B0DBD4A.82943473@my-deja.net... > > > > Hi All, > > > > Anybody use variables/names longer than 31 character > > and finds it really useful ? > > > > Then please respond why, where, when. > > I have folks here in comp.lang.fortran who will die claiming that they > > > > - "never seen a well written, legible program > > that uses any identifiers longer than 18-20 characters..". > > - "long variables names are *hard* to read. And, you have to > > read though all the characters of every instance of them...". > > - "it degrades the legibility of a program to use identifiers that > > can't be easily remembered...." > > > > As a result, despite 90% of computer languages have long, very > > long or 'infinite' identifiers, fortran folks seems plan to stay > > with their 6...aargh ...sorry this was just not far ago... 31 character > > limit intil year 3000. > > > > cheers > > > > -- Gary Scott mailto:scottg@flash.net mailto:webmaster@fortranlib.com http://www.fortranlib.com Support the GNU Fortran G95 Project: http://g95.sourceforge.net