🚀 go-pugleaf

RetroBBS NetNews Server

Inspired by RockSolid Light RIP Retro Guy

Article View: comp.lang.misc
Article #1470

Re: := versus ==

#1470
From: Peter da Silva
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 1990 16:55
26 lines
1625 bytes
In article <1990Aug2.170110.28208@rice.edu> preston@titan.rice.edu (Preston Briggs) writes:
> With C, Q, and PL/M, this doesn't hold.

> 	(i := 1) + i is not always equal to i + (i := 1)

Oh, it's worse than that. (i := 1) + i is not always equal to (i := 1) + i,
depending on optimisation level, or (for a sufficiently clever optimiser)
surrounding code. I can even imagine cases where the same expression twice
in a row produces different results.

> Same problems with ++ and -- in C.

And with any function that has a side effect. Like you say...

> Same problem in lots of languages where people write functions
> with side-effects.

As, for example, any object oriented language where objects have internal
state. Like, about all of them. A language that prevents functions from
having side effects is likely to be pretty restrictive. Can you think of
one, other then purely functional languages? Functions couldn't have I/O,
or for that matter call procedures (since procedures can have side effects).
-- 
Peter da Silva.   `-_-'
+1 713 274 5180.   'U`
<peter@ficc.ferranti.com>
Technical Details
Message-ID: <H925S0B@xds13.ferranti.com>
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!swbatl!texbell!ficc!peter
References: <=L-4T-A@ggpc2.ferranti.com> <17559:Aug101:50:5290@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <7H+4AM6@xds13.ferranti.com> <1990Aug2.170110.28208@rice.edu>

Show Full Headers
Complete Article Headers
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!swbatl!texbell!ficc!peter
From: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: := versus ==
Message-ID: <H925S0B@xds13.ferranti.com>
Date: 8 Aug 90 16:55:59 GMT
References: <=L-4T-A@ggpc2.ferranti.com> <17559:Aug101:50:5290@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <7H+4AM6@xds13.ferranti.com> <1990Aug2.170110.28208@rice.edu>
Reply-To: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Lines: 22