Topic: Liberalism (Was: comp.std.c++)
Author: jpotter@falcon.lhup.edu (John Potter)
Date: 2000/12/04 Raw View
On Sat, 2 Dec 2000 22:21:34 GMT, Valentin Bonnard
<Valentin.Bonnard@free.fr> wrote:
> Steve Clamage wrote:
>
> > The marketplace can sort out implementations that correctly claim
> > conformance but aren't useful for real work.
>
> I propose the following text for the next revision of the standard:
>
> Every program is a conforming C++ implementation.
>
> The C++ implementation that aren't useful for real work will be
> sorted out by the free market.
Conservatism to counter the subject.
No program is a conforming C++ implementation.
Those C++ non-implementations which prove useful for real work will be
sorted in by the free market
:-)
John
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Author: James.Kanze@dresdner-bank.com
Date: 2000/12/04 Raw View
In article <3A294D2A.6AD0@free.fr>,
Valentin Bonnard <Valentin.Bonnard@free.fr> wrote:
> Steve Clamage wrote:
> > The marketplace can sort out implementations that correctly claim
> > conformance but aren't useful for real work.
> I propose the following text for the next revision of the standard:
> Every program is a conforming C++ implementation.
"No program is a 100% conforming C++ implementation" would probably be
more accurate:-).
> The C++ implementation that aren't useful for real work will be
> sorted out by the free market.
That is, in fact, what happens. The standard cannot guarantee
usefulness. What is reasonable for one implementation might render
another useless. A compiler for my workstation that had the resource
limits of a compiler for an embedded system would be worthless, for
example. As would a compiler for an embedded system that needed the
resources of the compiler for my workstation.
In the end, the standard serves as a basis for a contract between me
and my vendor. It isn't the entire contract, nor should it be. (You
certainly wouldn't want the standard to fix the price of the compiler,
would you?) Without the standard, I or the vendor must define
everything. If I define it, the probability of the vendor meeting the
conditions is almost null, considering he didn't know them before
hand. If the vendor defines it, the probability of two vendors
defining the same thing is close enough to null for you to throw
portability out of the window. The standard is very useful as
boilerplate text for the contract, because it is boilerplate that many
vendors will use (generally with a few if's, and's or but's).
Note that the standard can't impose against the free market. If
enough people want "void main", they will get it, even if the standard
forbids it.
--
James Kanze mailto:kanze@gabi-soft.de
Conseils en informatique orient e objet/
Beratung in objektorientierter Datenverarbeitung
Ziegelh ttenweg 17a, 60598 Frankfurt, Germany Tel. +49(069)63198627
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Before you buy.
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Author: Valentin Bonnard <Valentin.Bonnard@free.fr>
Date: 2000/12/02 Raw View
Steve Clamage wrote:
> The marketplace can sort out implementations that correctly claim
> conformance but aren't useful for real work.
I propose the following text for the next revision of the standard:
Every program is a conforming C++ implementation.
The C++ implementation that aren't useful for real work will be
sorted out by the free market.
--
Valentin Bonnard
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