Newsgroups: comp.lang.java,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.smalltalk
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!newsfeed.pitt.edu!gatech!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!allegra!alice!ark
From: ark@research.att.com (Andrew Koenig)
Subject: Re: Will Java kill C++?
Message-ID: <DpJs8I.8tn@research.att.com>
Organization: AT&T Research, Murray Hill NJ
References: <DpG1s1.GC9@research.att.com> <4k7akk$nsh@engnews2.Eng.Sun.COM> <31683229.446B9B3D@bbn.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 14:29:05 GMT
Lines: 29
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.java:38201 comp.lang.c++:183223 comp.lang.smalltalk:36951

In article <31683229.446B9B3D@bbn.com> Joe Kraska <jkraska@bbn.com> writes:

> ANSI-C libraries are much easier to handle than C++ 
> libraries, for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is
> the stupid-dumb-fuck-mistake of not having a name-mangling standard
> for C++.

The thing about hurling expletives around like that
is that it's so embarrassing when you're wrong -- as
you are in this case.

Having a name-mangling standard would not solve any
problems, because it would do nothing toward solving
the binary compatibility problems that affect not
only C++ but also C.

I have two mutually incompatible C compilers on my workstation.
They generate names that look the same to the linker, but they
put arguments and return results in different registers.

Getting a single binary library to work with both those
C compilers is no easier than it is in C++.  In fact, I can
plausibly argue that it would be easier if those two compilers
used different conventions for linkage names -- that way I could
tell when I was headed for a fall before trying to run the
program.
-- 
				--Andrew Koenig
				  ark@research.att.com
