Date   : Fri, 15 Jul 1994 18:40:29 +0100
From   : jfid@... (James Fidell)
Subject: Re: Assembler vs C

JAMES WARD wrote:

> Suggestion:
>   Why not set up an FTP archive for this...
>   Is anyone able to set up an FTP directory somewhere to archive
> discussions, technical material and program code from this list?

Hopefully I should be setting up an FTP archive at Micro Focus in a month
or so (depends when the hardware gets here :-)

> Assembler,C+Portability:
>   Returning to the subject of Assembler vs. C, I personally favour
> assembler because I find it a lot easier than C and much faster...

Having worked a great deal in 6502 assembler when I was using a Beeb,
and having done a huge amount of C programming since :

I agree that something written in assembler will be faster at execution
time than anything written in C.  Good as most C compilers are, there
are points where they are forced to make assumptions that an assembler
programmer can avoid.

However, when it comes to tracking down bugs, I know which I'd rather
be using :-)

I think it would be interesting to see an assembler version of a Beeb
emulator as well as a C one.  There's still a great deal of information
that both projects can share and we'll end up with the best of both
worlds.

>   I am also unconvinced about the portability issue since I think
> that much of the code is going to be, of necessity, machine-specific
> in order to get the performance and quality required (well, by me at
> least).
>   Well, don't flame me on this point anyway...

I'm not flaming, just disagreeing.  None of the code I have written is
machine specific -- if it's UNIX and it runs X11, my code will (should :-)
work.  And with a reasonable level of performance now.

I'm not the only person in this position either.  I think you'd be
surprised by what can be done in a high level language in this case.

> Suggestion 2:
>   How about if everyone posts a brief list of the relevant documents
> they have, for the record?

This will have to wait until I get home.

James.

-- 
 "Yield to temptation --             |
  it may not pass your way again"    |     jfid@...        
                                     |
        - Lazarus Long               |              James Fidell