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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> OK. But given the ability to pick the number of bits you want, you can
> implement the rest as a mere library.
If your language syntax is flexible enough to allow such a specification,
yes, that works. Ada also selectively enforces the ranges, optimizes based
on the ranges, and allows you to declare (for example) arrays whose index is
based on such a type. Oh, and pack such things into the minimum number of
bits needed if you have an array of such things. (The canonical example
being reading a FAT-formatted floppy FAT directly into a packed array of
0..4095 integers.) Sure, if your language supports that sort of thing as a
library, you can do it that way, but then you're *way* over the complexity
of putting it in the compiler.
I'm just saying that I prefer declarations of the form "I need a variable to
hold these following application-specific values" than saying "first, figure
out what machine type will hold these application-specific values, then use
that type." That latter step really ought to be done by the compiler, IMO.
>>> *Everything* with GNU in the name sucks on Windows!
>>
>> The CLI stuff isn't too bad. Of course, it's hard to screw up something
>> like md5sum.
>
> Oh how ironic that you should pick md5sum - the one console application
> that I've struggled with to find a working Win32 version!
This doesn't work? http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/
> Well, yeah. But I mean, you can make it grok stuff that doesn't look
> like algebra; it's flexible enough to do that.
Fair enough. :-)
--
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
"How did he die?" "He got shot in the hand."
"That was fatal?"
"He was holding a live grenade at the time."
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