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=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_DATE autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,1ff5003422436e4 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1994-10-13 09:37:47 PST Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!convex!news.duke.edu!MathWorks.Com!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!csusac!csus.edu!netcom.com!milod From: milod@netcom.com (John DiCamillo) Subject: Re: Easily-Read C++? Message-ID: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) References: <941005030023_73672.2025_DHR103-1@CompuServe.COM> <36tsda$s32@disunms.epfl.ch> <36u9l3$2bb@gnat.cs.nyu.edu> Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 17:03:20 GMT Date: 1994-10-12T17:03:20+00:00 List-Id: perez@oldcolo.com (Carlos Perez) writes: >John DiCamillo (milod@netcom.com) wrote: >: perez@oldcolo.com (Carlos Perez) writes: >: >i use 2 pgm n ada bt i chngd to oth pgm lang cuz ada usd 2 mny ltrs & >: >evry1 thnx c s btr; i ms ada bt i cn wrt kwik now; >: You forgot to mention how much easier >: it is for you to read vanity license >: plates since you started using C. >: All that practice with cryptically >: abreviated variable names, you know. >: Great post! >In retrospect, I think I was a bit too cynical. I apologize to the many >competent and knowledgable C and C++ programers who do write readable >code. Apology accepted! ;-) But this whole variable name length argument is really beside the point. (Reason: neither language enforces or even encourages short variable or type names. People use certain naming conventions because that's the way they were taught, or because a standard is enforced for a project.) But there are many other aspects of program readability. Other people have jumped on C++'s cryptic pure virtual notation (a wart or at least a very bad pun) and its mostly hideous declaration style (inherited from C). Another place where readability suffers is inside class templates (generics). This problem is partly due to templates being hurried into the language without adequate testing. But even given all that, I still like C++ syntax because it is concise. This allows me to read unfamiliar code more quickly, and to establish a mental schema for the abstrac- tions more quickly. Eiffel provides this through 'short-flat' and Ada through package specifications, but I think that C++ is more effectively concise than those languages. I'll readily admit it's not much of an argument, but at least it's better than yammering away about "mine's longer than yours". -- c'iao, milo ================================================================ John DiCamillo Pinin' for the fjords? milod@netcom.com What kind of talk is that?