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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: "...the value becomes,indeterminate each time the declaration is reached"
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2019 14:34:04 -0800
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James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> writes:

> On Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 4:30:57 AM UTC-5, Malcolm McLean wrote:
> ...
>
>> You have the grammar in your head.  And it's not the formal Backus Nuar
>> grammar.  No one learns C by looking at that and committing it to memory.
>
> I did, and I think most people do.  [...]

I would be very surprised if the facts bore this out.  I usually
look at language grammars for reference at some point, but that
isn't how I learn the language to start with.  If I had to bet,
I think most students (either classroom or self-taught) never
even look at a formal grammar, let alone learn the language that
way.  My experience learning C was out of (the original) K&R,
and I certainly didn't look at formal syntax until I was done
reading the main part of the book, because there was no need.