[TUHS] I can't drive 55: "GOTO considered harmful" 55th anniversary

[Paul Winalski]

On 3/12/23, Dan Cross <crossd at 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.