C# is white-belt C++

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Deep Sea
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C# is white-belt C++

Post by Deep Sea »

For youse who blaze software programming trails...

These days I don't have much chance to go exploring uncharted waters as I'm pretty tied up in UNIX C++ doing mathematical computations with embedded System International notation.


I ran across the following link at work this morning and perhaps chould have backed up and run over it a few more times as well. However it did catch my attention, and after reading it I realized that C# is a glorified c-ish Pascal. The author of the article is definitely not talking to seasoned architects like myself, rather I walked away from it feeling he was talking to college freshmen who have maybe heard about c++. Definitely appears to be a watered-down "whatever" in my book:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issue ... fault.aspx
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dominiuno
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Post by dominiuno »

"watered down" thats exactly what I was thinking. And is it really THAT hard to remember the differences between "::", "->" and "."? Speaking of C variants, have you heard of C* ? Pretty sure its used for parallel processing. An excerpt off the net,

C* is a dialect of C featuring extended syntax and semantics for supporting parallel processing. It was designed for application development on the Connection Machine line of SIMD massively parallel computers.
Two fundamental added features distinguish C* from standard C: parallel data elements, and parallel computation domains. Each variable in a C* routine is either a 'mono' (scalar) or a 'poly' (parallel) variable. The programmer can define any number of named domains, with domain-local parallel and scalar variables, and then define computations that take place in those domains.
C* supports the same data types and control structures as C.
C* is a commercial product, it was sold along with the Connection Machine CM2 and CM5 systems. No documentation seems to be available on the web.


Over time I hope C# will dissapear into the folds of time like C* pretty much did.

As you said though, C# is white belts C++.


-David
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Deep Sea
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Post by Deep Sea »

Now, for a Black Belt language, THE one I miss, is APL. It was so beautifully cryptic, compact, fast, and mathematically powerful as well, David. The other kanguage I miss, a Green-belt-level language interms of power and ability to write in it is called ATLAS.

Although I've been doing C++ for 11 years and C for 5 prior to that, I'm still learning C++, and occasionally pull out my K&R book for something or other. The most recent development in C++ that gives it even MORE muscle is the STL suite, now an adopted part of the language and gaining maturity. STL provides, as libraries, data management and manipulation tools it once took weeks and even months to write and debug.

I like to develop code with System International (SI), David, as well. But there's no valid and useful SI implementation in all of Intel land. As you know, David, SI is merely the system of units attached to code and prevents one from designing and writing obtsuse and obscure errors into his code. For instance, with SI it is impossible, say, to mix units of any kind that are not supposed to be combined together, say mix transmission fluid with antifreeze and gasoline with motor oil because one actually has to write 5 gallons gas times 3 quarts oil to attempt to put them together. The compiler happily slaps both wrists as it adamantly says "No, stupid! You can't do that. Can't you tell the difference."
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dominiuno
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Post by dominiuno »

So what would assembly be? Hanshi? :)

At some point I would enjoy doing some APL at some point, from what I've seen/heard it sounds good. Are there programs around for it?
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Deep Sea
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Post by Deep Sea »

Hanshi? Oh no. Relegated to the graveyard. There are only small pockets of assembly language and machine language developers left.

Likewise, APL has also been relegated to the graveyard because most people cannot grasp the comprehension required of such a small well-packed language. The last time I investigated "who" uses it, I was able to find that only MIT's labaratories plus isolated pockets of IBM who still use APL. That was maybe ten or so years ago.
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