Re: [Announce] FreeVMS 0.1.3

From: Dave Froble (davef_at_tsoft-inc.com)
Date: 03/18/05 

Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 23:53:36 -0500

Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> In article <5IVLsW$WZlPr@eisner.encompasserve.org>,
> koehler@eisner.nospam.encompasserve.org (Bob Koehler) writes:
>
>> But if you program in other languages it can be hard to code a
>> buffer overrun, which is the way it should be.
>
>
> But if you program in other languages it can also be hard to code
> the task at hand. Ever try to code an OS in Fortran or COBOL?
> (Although COBOL is also not immune to buffer overrun.) And we
> were talking about writting an OS.

Doing an OS in a HLL isn't the best of ideas, due to capabilities. Many
times you need to do something that the language isn't suited for. My
own favorite, VAX/DEC BASIC isn't, as far as I know, capable of
re-entrant code, threads, and such, things an OS demands. That's a
compiler issue, I think, and surmountable. Only problem is, how many
types of system will the compiler run on?

> I will admit that PLI would probably be a good candidate except for
> the dearth of programmers who actually know it well enough to write
> or maintain an OS.

I don't know PL/I, but I'm aware that it's been used for system
programming on multiple occasions, so I'd give it credit for being suitable.

> I am still waiting for someone to take on the project of re-writing
> Unix in something other than C in order to prove what a tremendous
> improvement it would be. (I have had many people suggest that
> Unix would be so much better if it were written in Ada but no one
> ever takes on the task. Personally, I don't believe it.)

To what purpose? It could only be built on systems that support the
selected language. It seems that C is supported in some manner on
almost everything still being built. While I don't like it, it's reality.

I still think many OS tasks are best written in assembler, but that's
not real portable, even VAX MACRO-32, which has made it to 3
architechures. People willing to accept the job of writing in assembler
aren't real numerous either.

Dave

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How easy is it to learn VB compared to C#?
    ... assemblies - there just is no support in the ide. ... I'm also aware that there are command line tools to allow me to use GITaswell as SVN. ... I would have nothing against this if I were able to mix languages inside a given project. ... I am curious why though, it has been possible in many languages in the past, to write inline assembler. ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb)
  • Re: How easy is it to learn VB compared to C#?
    ... assemblies - there just is no support in the ide. ... I'm sure that's the case for you, but the languages will always be uneven. ... Even if each language should develop the feature that the other one is currently ... to write inline assembler. ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb)
  • Re: Virus Warning
    ... It would be nice if one day Mickeysoft made *all* their production code buffer overrun protected. ... almost impossible to enforce. ... There are plenty of other languages and computer archictures like Harvard where strict separation is enforced at a hardware level. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: [Announce] FreeVMS 0.1.3
    ... >> buffer overrun, which is the way it should be. ... > But if you program in other languages it can also be hard to code ... Well there are probably 25 PL/I programmers for every Ada programmer, ...
    (comp.os.vms)
  • Re: [Announce] FreeVMS 0.1.3
    ... > buffer overrun, which is the way it should be. ... But if you program in other languages it can also be hard to code ... Ever try to code an OS in Fortran or COBOL? ... Unix in something other than C in order to prove what a tremendous ...
    (comp.os.vms)