Serious applications

[A.C.T.]

Hi, Rob,

> Look a little harder, Marc.

I am the hardest looker :-)


> Productivity?

Yes. Meaning the time needed to solve a problem.

> How many lines of C does it take to replicate the functionality of the 
> "new stack" and "new card" commands?

A link to the correct library - that's about one line, I'd say.

> How many lines of C does it take to "get word 3 of item 6 of line 17 of 
> someText?

Not taking into account that I do never need to get "word 3 of item 6 of 
line 17" but usually use some regexp for such tasks - I'd say a call of 
the right function in the correct library takes about one line.

> Can you change a library routine, replace the library file, and rerun 
> all your C applications that use the library without relinking & 
> redistributing the standalone?  I can & do with Transcript.

Yes, by using shared libraries - or, depending on the actual task, using 
a plug in system.

> You won't appreciate the benefits of Transcript until you become more 
> familiar with it.  The C way of doing things is not the only way, and I 
> submit it is not the best way available.

I totally agree on that. As I have said before: I was not (and I still 
am not trying to be) saying anything AGAINST Transcript. Since 
"programming" really should be the SMALLEST task in a complete project 
the language only _is_ a small component. To me, personally, Transcript 
currently is a black box. That does not mean that it is "useless", 
again, I never said that.

But C or C++ isn't a language on its own, as you depict. You always 
access a large pool of libraries, you (surely?) don't reinvent wheels, 
tires or women every time you start coding something.

Marc Albrecht
A.C.T. / level-2
Glinder Str. 2
27432 Ebersdorf
Deutschland
Tel. 04765-830060
Fax. 04765-830064