17 Jul
2008
17 Jul
'08
11:12 p.m.
Bryan Cantrill scripsit:
but plenty of code dates from Back in the Day,
especially in userland.
For evidence of this, I point (as I often do) to troff, and files like
http://src.opensolaris.org/source/xref/onnv/onnv-gate/usr/src/cmd/troff/n5.c,
which has had very little modification in the 18 years since The Merge,
Another example, at the opposite end of the aesthetic spectrum, is cal,
which does exactly what it is supposed to and has not been changed
since at least 7th edition days, except to add a modest amount of i18n.
The GNU version has a few more options, as is typical, but still produces
exactly the same output as the 7th Edn. running under apout.
and still contains comments like this gem:
Indeed, both ditroff and Plan 9 troff are directly descended from
JFO's code. Only groff is independent, which just goes to show what a
heroic programmer (in a quiet way) James Clark really is (as do nsgmls
and jing/trang).
The Law of James Clark: If you think James is wrong on a matter of fact,
you have another think coming.
--
But you, Wormtongue, you have done what you could for your true master. Some
reward you have earned at least. Yet Saruman is apt to overlook his bargains.
I should advise you to go quickly and remind him, lest he forget your faithful
service. --Gandalf John Cowan <cowan(a)ccil.org>