From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <74f73b64cc6de4a3bd10367591439816@kw.quanstro.net> References: <15723310.yIARpoJMSL@coil> <4824335454f1b1d47dbc8439b4af8ea3@kw.quanstro.net> <20121029223541.8C198B827@mail.bitblocks.com> <0f05642b113b3ecfc160e82a9ca4db32@brasstown.quanstro.net> <20121029232652.5160BB827@mail.bitblocks.com> <74f73b64cc6de4a3bd10367591439816@kw.quanstro.net> Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 23:58:23 +0000 Message-ID: From: Charles Forsyth To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=047d7b34392edd053404cd3b7168 Subject: Re: [9fans] caveat... optimizer? the `zero and forget' thread on HN Topicbox-Message-UUID: cca6741a-ead7-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 --047d7b34392edd053404cd3b7168 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 "But my point was that a programmer should understand the standard" But suppose the standard does not evidently aim to be understood, in the generally understood meaning of "understood", or there are more words in the standard than will ever appear in the programmer's own programs? Worse! "Standard" doesn't imply a fixed point ("oh, that syntax/semantics is so last year!"). I think looking into memset and deciding it's not worthwhile calling is perhaps overly enthusiastic. Actually, it's wrong, because it overlooks the side-effect, and an optimiser for a language with side-effects should take that into account. --047d7b34392edd053404cd3b7168 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable "But my=C2=A0point was th= at a programmer should understand the standard"

But suppose the standard does not evidently aim to be understood, = in the generally understood meaning of "understood",
or= =C2=A0there are more words in the standard than will ever appear in the pro= grammer's own programs?
Worse! "Standard" doesn't imply a fixed point ("oh,= that syntax/semantics is so last year!").
I think looking i= nto memset and deciding it's not worthwhile calling is perhaps overly e= nthusiastic.
Actually, it's wrong, because it overlooks the side-effect, and an= optimiser for a language with side-effects
should take that into= account.

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