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From:	Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: array indices [i][j]
Date:	5 Feb 2004 08:52:33 GMT
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Sterten <sterten AT aol DOT com> wrote:

> That's the way how they can get the source without macros.

Not really.  It's the way to get *a* source with all the macros
replaced.  But if you've ever actually looked at this kind of
intermediate output, I hope you'll agree that it's completely useless
as a readable representation of the source code.  For one thing, the
preprocessor will have replaced *all* macros, not just your syntax
obfuscators.  It'll also have copied in all the #include'd header
files verbatim, and done some other things that you don't want to have
in source code supposed to be read by humans.

> I'd say: when you have to behave like a Roman there,then don't go to Rome.

Nonsense.  And rather chauvinistic, too.  It's rather "If you don't
like the way the Romans behave, maybe you shouldn't go to Rome."

So, if you don't want to write code that looks like C, don't program
in C.  Nobody's forcing this choice of language down your throat,
right? So if you don't like it, don't use it.

If you want Python or Perl, I'm reasonably sure you'll manage to find
them.  Thank you, and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

>  >That is, when
>  >you work in a certain programming language, use the syntactic
>  >conventions of that programming language, even if facilities like
>  >macros allow you to redefine almost everything.

> that reminds me to Don Knuth's programs.
[...]
> because he uses an own,unusual language similar to C but with some
> special "macros".

I think you have not the slightest idea what you're talking about.
That "C with some special macros" you're talking about is actually
Knuth's own special programming tool "Web", which is actually not C at
all, but Pascal, and intermixed with TeX for internal documentation.

-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.

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