Re: Build language with weak typing, then add scaffolding later to strengthen it?

[jan.de.kruyf@gmail.com]

On Friday, May 22, 2015 at 7:47:27 PM UTC+2, Simon Clubley wrote:

> >
> >> I don't agree. C is a low level language, and good at that.
> >
> > I say Ada is far superior to C for doing low-level programming.
> > Address clauses, representation clauses, packed arrays, ...
> >
> 
> Unfortunately, C has one major advantage over Ada which is why it's
> used for this kind of thing. Practically every platform out there has
> a freely available C compiler which supports the platform as a target
> so you can be sure you don't have to rewrite your C code in another
> language when you want to port your code to a new environment.
> 
> Simon.
> 
> -- 

There is more to it than that Simon.
I am looking at the moment at Linux Kernel code in order to write a module at least partly in Ada.

What I find is that (based on C) the Kernel writers have developed their own idiom that interfaces extremely badly to any language of the Algol family, of which Ada is one.
The inummerable #defines for inline routines are an example.
(And it is proven that those inlines slow the system down by the way, but that Linus did not know when he started the bad habit).

So basically its like writing your next novel in German. It might be a superior language ;) but it takes a real hobbyist to do it.

So besides any compilers, or the quality (or the lack thereof) of any computer language, there is a deeply cultural aspect involved. 

j.