12 Mar
2023
12 Mar
'23
5:40 p.m.
On 3/12/23, Dan Cross <crossd(a)gmail.com> wrote:
It is certainly a shame that modern compiler writers have become
essentially hostile to programmers in their pursuit of ever more aggressive
optimizations based on rigid readings of the standard, common sense be
damned.
As a compiler developer for many years, IMO the best compilers accept
a wide variety of variations and extensions to the language standard,
but have a strict-standard mode for those who want it.
Dave Cutler's DECwest organization developed and released s C89
compiler for Ultrix that accepted only strict, standard-conforming
syntax and semantics. No K&R mode, nothing but pure C89. One
customer called it the Rush Limbaugh of C compilers--extremely
conservative, and you can't reason with it.
-Paul W.