Why don't C comments nest?

From	Aron Packer <atp1@rightthing.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Why don't C comments nest?
Date	2011-11-11 19:21 +0000
Organization	Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID	<j9jsj2$7gi$1@speranza.aioe.org> (permalink)

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Hi all,

(Apologies if this is in a FAQ somewhere, I couldn't find anything).

Almost every time I do any significant amount of coding in C or C++, I
end up wishing C-style comments would nest. It would make rapid
debugging much more convenient (vs. #if 0/#endif or editor macros).

Anyway, was this an explicit design decision, or some sort of historical
artifact? (e.g. too expensive to parse at the time). What other sorts of
reasons might exist against nesting comments?

Thanks!

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Why don't C comments nest? Aron Packer <atp1@rightthing.invalid> - 2011-11-11 19:21 +0000
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-11 14:31 -0500
    Re: Why don't C comments nest? Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2011-11-17 11:21 +0100
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-18 15:55 +0200
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? nroberts <roberts.noah@gmail.com> - 2011-11-11 11:25 -0800
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-11 20:11 +0000
    Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-11 20:28 +0000
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-11 13:16 -0800
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-11 16:28 -0500
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-11 13:54 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-12 12:07 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:11 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-12 22:29 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 16:36 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-13 10:30 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-13 06:31 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-13 16:57 +0000
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2011-11-12 08:21 -0600
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Lauri Alanko <la@iki.fi> - 2011-11-12 14:29 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 06:57 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-12 17:51 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-12 09:44 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2011-11-12 16:37 -0600
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-15 14:22 -0500
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 08:41 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-15 14:48 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 09:03 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-15 20:37 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 10:06 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-15 14:31 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-15 22:41 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-15 23:06 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-15 23:58 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-16 01:58 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-15 22:40 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 11:48 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-15 23:13 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-16 12:57 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 07:42 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-11-16 18:57 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 08:48 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-16 11:50 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 09:00 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-16 20:20 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2011-11-16 11:57 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 09:47 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-18 15:49 +0200
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-18 10:15 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-18 17:57 +0200
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-11 22:14 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2011-11-11 14:35 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 00:10 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-11 15:14 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 00:37 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-11 20:21 -0500
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 11:10 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-12 08:11 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 13:57 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-12 09:34 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 18:17 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 14:09 -0600
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 20:49 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:42 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 21:53 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-12 21:44 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 22:12 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-13 11:22 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 16:32 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:09 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 21:46 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-12 21:40 +0000
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-12 11:20 +1300
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-12 00:40 +0200
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-12 04:29 +0000
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 10:54 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-13 09:11 +1300
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 20:52 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-13 10:22 +1300
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-13 23:55 +0200
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 07:02 -0800
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:13 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 13:48 -0800
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-11 16:51 -0800
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2011-11-12 22:55 +0000
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-15 14:17 -0500

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