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From gpc-owner@gnu.de  Sun Sep 29 05:38:18 2002
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From: Tom Schneider <toms@ncifcrf.gov>
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Subject: Re: Dropping `--standard-pascal', `foo
In-Reply-To: <E17vUct-0004sX-00@adele.gerwinski.de> from "gpc-owner@gnu.de" at "Sep 29, 2002 05:20:11 am"
To: gpc@gnu.de (gpc)
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 23:36:06 -0400 (EDT)
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> Removing [--standard.pascal] invalidates who knows
> how many existing scripts and makefiles.

Exactly.  Why break old code?

> If anything I would recommend retaining the present directives and
> adding "ISO7185-0", "ISO7185-1" and "ISO10206".  However I don't
> expect that to happen.  So this is purely my vote against deleting
> the present directives.

I would vote for this!!  But please leave the old definitions and clarify
what they are precisely using ISO numbers.  That information is not in the
info gpc documentation (first few pages).

> Source that is valid under 7185-0 should be valid everywhere (in
> the best of all possible worlds, Dr. Pangloss).  I want to
> encourage such as far as possible.  Use of any extensions beyond
> that causes portability problems somewhere or other.

Absolutely!!

> The message from Dr. Thomas Schneider <mailto:toms@ncifcrf.gov> is
> indicative of the problems that deletion would cause.  He
> obviously does not have an info installation, or it is obsolete,
> or he is unaware of it.

I was aware of it but don't think to use it.  I find it awkward and complex
compared to web pages, man pages, help flags, xman ...  Thanks for the tip.

> He may be using scripts set up by
> personnel who have long since moved on.

I write the scripts myself but prefer not to have to muck with them.  We
could upgrade to the latest version but I try to stick to the standard so if
it is supported I don't have to keep running to stay in place.  If you drop
--standard.pascal that will break the copies of my compile script that other
people have.  This would force me to make a variant of the script that
figures out the version of gpc and then calls gpc the right way so that it
does not bomb!  How silly.

> Hidebound people such as
> myself view with horror any changes to installed software,
> especially any lack of backward compatibility.

Agreed.

Tom

  Dr. Thomas D. Schneider
  National Cancer Institute
  Laboratory of Experimental and Computational Biology
  Frederick, Maryland  21702-1201
  toms@ncifcrf.gov
  permanent email: toms@alum.mit.edu (use only if first address fails)
  http://www.lecb.ncifcrf.gov/~toms/

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