🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4hgc5l$99s@solutions.solon.com>, stanr@tiac.net (Stan Ryckman) writes:

	[alloca is horrible]

|> [I agree.  alloca is deranged, undesireable, and useful only when there's
|>  a problem with the design of the code to begin with.  The sole excuse
|>  for it would go away if the committee introduced variable-sized arrays
|>  and added C++ style mixing of declarations with code. -mod]

I disaagree.

Where applicable, alloca gives you garbage-collected dynamic memory for free,
so it's a programming and a run-time win.

Variable-sized arrays are not the only use of alloca and cannot supplant it.

As far as I know, implementing alloca via the stack is trivial on
any general-purpose CPU, but I am interested in hearing of counter examples.

[The botch is that the stack is expensive, and some machines, such as the
 Amiga, dislike it when programs allocate vast objects on the stack. -mod]

Konrad Schwarz