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From: dewar@cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)
Subject: Re: ANSI C and POSIX (was Re: C/C++ knocks the crap out of Ada)
Date: 1996/04/10
Message-ID: <dewar.829136049@schonberg>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 146721764
references: <JSA.96Feb16135027@organon.com> <dewar.829051685@schonberg>
 <829066525snz@genesis.demon.co.uk> <dewar.829096975@schonberg>
 <4kf8k1INN68b@keats.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca>
organization: Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.edu
Date: 1996-04-10T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

Kazimir said

"BTW, I checked the Ada POSIX standard too, but that reads like a VCR manual
from 1984.  ;)  heh"

Actually, the Ada spec for the corresponding function is absolutely clear.
This is because the strong typing of Ada leaves no doubt as to the 
semantics of exceeding the buffer size, and the called routine knows
the length of the buffer.

One problem that I notice a lot of people have is in reading precise
standards. A lot of people actually prefer vague descriptions with a
few examples. Again the issue is one of training. Recently in my 
undergraduate class a student posted a note to the course list
claiming that all books are useless and unreadabe, and that the
only way to learn to program is to see examples.

Sigh!