Mail Archives: djgpp/1997/10/12/11:31:31
Nissim <nchudnof AT mbhs DOT edu> wrote:
: That's ridiculous.. imagine all the people who could not claim credit for
: their programs because they used libc functions like printf and not
: routines they wrote themselves :)
Hi, there.
Actually, this is an issue I often face in using the GNU assembler (GAS),
which permits calling C library functions such as _scanf, _printf, and
_puts in a standalone assembly language program.
Of course, I want to learn how to do things such as convert integer and
floating point results to decimal strings. However, as a beginner, I find
that the library functions solve a lot of i/o problems, and let me
concentrate on things like getting the algorithms and jumps right.
Maybe the choice depends on the nature of the program: if something could
easily run in a 3K executable without needing the fancier formatting that
the C library makes possible, then maybe I should try to do everything
with simple routines. But if the functionality of the C library would
really improve the program -- or if I don't yet know how to do it
otherwise -- then why not use the tools that everyone from K&R to DJ and
EZ and CWS and RH, etc., have available?
BTW, I've been working on a custom PostScript prologue for the last six
years or so that attempts something maybe a bit like Allegro: defining a
set of complex visual effects which can then be used in artwork with very
concise instructions. Please let me add modestly that I have a much easier
time than Shawn, since I'm using a 4GL that handles all the memory and
graphics stuff.
Anyway, while I can't speak for Shawn, I certainly would _not_ say that
anyone who uses my freeware prologue is no longer the author of their own
illustrations <grin>.
Most respectfully,
Margo Schulter
mschulter AT value DOT net
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