Olin Lathrop wrote:

>> But you're talking about popularity, availability.
> 
> No, I'm specifically not.  I understand how C got where it is and
> that today you have to use it regardless of technical merits.  

Didn't you write earlier in this thread: 

:: All I'm looking for is some outcry from the minority rest of us to
:: keep pointing out the faults in C and complain about wanting
:: something better. It's not easy to change such intrenched thinking,
:: but if we keep beating on it more and more people may slowly realize
:: that C is a really bad idea.


> The part I'm trying to point out is that C sucks technically, because
> too many sheeple use C and don't see a problem with that.  I'm not
> saying there is a handy solution because I don't see one either. 

Well, in the absence of a better solution, it seems that C is the best
solution -- now, in some (many) settings. This is probably the reason
why most people use it, and it has nothing to do with them being
sheeple. (Well, I'm one of them, so it's kind of obvious that I would
think so :)


> But the realization that it would be nice if there was one is
> something too many people haven't made yet, and that's what I'm
> trying to get them to see.  There are still people in this world that
> actually *like* C (and I don't mean in the business sense), as
> evidenced by several of the responses here. 

You may not believe it, but there are people who actually *like*
assembly :)  Not that different from liking C, IMO. 


>> This is the thing you seem to get confused. The reason why C is more
>> popular has nothing to do with computer science concepts,
> 
> No, in fact I've been trying to point that out.

Then we agree on that. IMO it's usually a mixture of long-term
availability, support for many targets, well specified (and a single
spec), popularity, and other such criteria -- but not on its merits as
well-designed programming language, in the academic sense of it.

But in a business setting, the latter has some impact, but other
criteria have much more impact. And those other criteria may make it a
sound decision to use C -- despite its shortcomings. The shortcomings of
the alternatives are even worse. And that's why C is not, all in all,
"bad".

Gerhard
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