Re: programming in PL/I

From	compilers@is-not-my.name
Newsgroups	comp.compilers
Subject	Re: programming in PL/I
Date	2012-01-12 16:30 +0000
Organization	Compilers Central
Message-ID	<12-01-017@comp.compilers> (permalink)
References	<12-01-009@comp.compilers> <12-01-010@comp.compilers> <12-01-013@comp.compilers>

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On Thu Jan 12 07:18:12 2012 arnold@skeeve.com wrote:

> Is there a reason to prefer PL/I over C++ or Java?

Yes, several. It would be more relevant to ask if PL/I is preferable to C
since PL/I is not an object oriented language, is suitable for systems
programming (usually has but does not necessarily require a runtime), does
not have garbage collection, implementations don't use a VM, etc.

People coming from IBM envionments usually don't have any C experience but
often do have a reasonable working knowledge of PL/I or at least exposure to
it. PL/I is more powerful than C, is older, has good optimizing compilers
available, and I personally prefer it. About the only advantage of C over
PL/I is C usually has some provision for dropping into assembler. PL/I
doesn't offer this feature.

As usual, it comes down to what tools are available on your target platforms
and what you prefer.

Thread

Re: Parser generator drb@msu.edu (Dennis Boone) - 2012-01-08 11:47 -0600
  Re: Parser generator glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-08 21:58 +0000
    Re: Parser generator arnold@skeeve.com (Aharon Robbins) - 2012-01-11 20:06 +0000
      Re: PL/I, was Parser generator drb@ihatespam.msu.edu (Dennis Boone) - 2012-01-11 16:19 -0600
      Re: PL/I, was Parser generator Robert AH Prins <robert@prino.org> - 2012-01-11 23:42 +0000
      Re: programming in PL/I compilers@is-not-my.name - 2012-01-12 16:30 +0000
        Re: programming in PL/I Robert AH Prins <robert@prino.org> - 2012-01-14 09:20 +0000
        Re: programming in PL/I "Derek M. Jones" <derek@_NOSPAM_knosof.co.uk> - 2012-01-14 14:08 +0000
          Re: programming in PL/I glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-15 01:01 +0000
            Re: programming in PL/I glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-15 11:36 +0000
    Re: Parser generator for PL/I "robin" <robin51@dodo.com.au> - 2012-01-15 02:00 +1100
      Re: Parser generator for PL/I drb@ihatespam.msu.edu (Dennis Boone) - 2012-01-14 23:40 -0600
  Re: Parser generator SLK Systems <slkpg3@gmail.com> - 2012-01-08 20:26 -0500
    Re: Parser generator glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2012-01-11 07:22 +0000
      Re: Parser generator SLK Systems <slkpg3@gmail.com> - 2012-01-11 20:28 -0500

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