Re: C omega

[Georg Bauhaus <sb463ba@l1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de>]

Adrian Knoth <adi@thur.de> wrote:
: Pascal Obry <pascal@obry.org> wrote:
: 
:> class ReaderWriter
:> {
...
:> }
:>
:> I'm not sure to fully understand the code above, but it looks quite complex
:> to me :)
: 
: Looks pretty much like semaphore-handling (Dijkstra?).

They hint at it on the Polyphonic pages IIRC. If you look at
the names of those involved in developing C om, you will find
people who know Ada (Luca Cardelli somehow did ring a bell or two)
and other non-C languages.

<rant>Thus, they know how it should be done. But I guess that
they mustn't do the right thing, for marketing reasons:

- "Just" adding concurrency somehow to a well known programming language
  is popular. In particular if the change "just" adds well known concepts
  like semaphores. To the programmer: "you just have to ..., and everything
  is under your control". (Euphemistically for something else...
  By analogy everything is under control when you write at object code
  level...)

- They could recommend a language with a track record, an O-O
  language that has generic types, subprogram objects, a
  simple but useful tasking model at language level, garbage
  collection, a C interface, and design by contract.
  A language that was among the first to be integrated with .NET,
  in cooperation with Microsoft.
  It is not a "Microsoft language" though.

- Stepwise refinement of a programming language leaves room
  for improvement. Both at the language design level, and
  at the "new features, less bugs, new language used" level
  in vendor produce (programs). Improvements can be sold.

But OTOH, maybe they find out something new from which the world
will profit.</rant>

It is interesting to see how the languages arrive at ideas that have
been present in Ada for a while know (at least that is what I see
being a dilettante). Maybe there should be a new commercial language
with mostly Ada syntax and semantics, using a fair amount of curly
braces, and known not to be used by the weapon makers, but: with a
different name and a new history. I guess it could be an interesting
offer.

-- Georg Bauhaus