On Mon, 2005-01-24 at 15:23 -0700, Paul E Condon wrote: > On Sun, Jan 23, 2005 at 11:46:46PM -0500, J.F.Gratton wrote: > > Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't there a few (well ok, at least one) > > OS written in SmallTalk ? I seem to remember that from my computer > > science courses. I could be something planted in my memory by some evil > > alien that wanted to promote wide-spread use of SmallTalk, tho :) > > > > IMHO, the real test of a HLL for use on big, serious projects is > whether or not the compiler for the language is written in the Why is that The Real Test? What makes self-compilation such a big deal? IMNSHO, it's a bogus test. > language itself. Of course the first compiler for a new language must > be written in some other language (assembler code is a language). > > C was, I believe, the first language for which self compiling was an > explicit goal. It succeeded in reaching that goal and ever after has > held a special place in programming languages. This is not to say that > it is the best language for any particular project. But if some part > of a project turns out to be hard to implement in the language that > was originally chosen for the project, C will probably be used write > those parts, or to write a better compiler for the original language. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ron Johnson, Jr. Jefferson, LA USA PGP Key ID 8834C06B I prefer encrypted mail. "If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon-shots." Napoleon Bonaparte
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