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Groups > comp.lang.c > #126766

Re: Text Files

Subject Re: Text Files
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
References (4 earlier) <p64768$gpj$1@dont-email.me> <TBihC.260036$w26.87474@fx47.am4> <p64qnr$b5q$1@dont-email.me> <zRmhC.24616$Dt.19656@fx18.am4> <87sha17v8y.fsf@bsb.me.uk>
From bartc <bc@freeuk.com>
Message-ID <nPohC.79552$f9.78674@fx02.am4> (permalink)
Organization virginmedia.com
Date 2018-02-15 23:36 +0000

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On 15/02/2018 22:17, Ben Bacarisse wrote:
> bartc <bc@freeuk.com> writes:

>> You say that is simpler and clearer than writing:
>>
>>       readln a, b, c
>>
>> OK.
> 
> This is not a fair exchange of views.  All languages have winners and
> losers in the trade-off between providing general mechanisms and
> specific ones, but no one but you has access to the documentation for
> your language so it's impossible to tell what, if anything, the cost is
> of having that simple input line.

There is no cost because you can do it the hard way too (I'm sure I can 
do it how Python does it). But the benefit is easier coding and extra 
productivity.

> For example, one apparent cost is that one can't distinguish between
> integer and floating point input because you've posted essentially the
> same line for both cases.

I used to support this statement for my compiled language. Then the type 
would be depend on the type of the variable. In the dynamic one, the 
type is automatic, or you can stipulate the type, or read items as 
strings or names, and convert to numbers.

(I've briefly resurrected an old compiler - with static types like C - 
which turns this:

     int a, b, c
     readln a, b, c

into this:

     call    _qreadln
     call    _qreadi4
     mov [ebp-4],eax         ;<a>
     call    _qreadi4
     mov [ebp-8],eax         ;<b>
     call    _qreadi4
     mov [ebp-12],eax        ;<c>

Really, there's no magic about it. Those functions just return 0 at EOL. 
For anything a bit more elaborate there were ways to look ahead.)

   That may be an advantage, of course, but it
> can also be a disadvantage.
> 
> And then I don't know how can I specify what separators are permitted,
> or how I can tell if there was more or less data than needed.  I can't
> even tell how to detect an input failure.

The OP wanted to know how to do something like:

   read (a, b, c)

(from a file, but from console is similar).

And some languages do allow that. However, many don't seem to any more, 
including Python, despite what David Brown says.

You like to bring up excuses why it can't possibly work. The idea is for 
a quick, informal way of reading things without much error-checking, 
because the input is trusted, or because an error is inconsequential.

If it wasn't workable, then I wouldn't have the feature. But it is, I 
have, and I use it. What's the problem?

> It's not that I want to know the answers -- the point is that this is
> rapidly going turn into a fruitless exchange without full documentation
> for all the languages involved.

You don't need any docs except to know such simple input possible in 
many languages without fuss, and is not possible in C and Python without 
some fuss. In C, perhaps rather more of it.

In my (scripting) language I typically use such input for reading 
configuration files or project files, often ones that have been written 
by the same program.

A typical line might have a keyword, followed by known number of 
parameters depending on keyword. How sophisticated does a read-line 
routine need to be?

     readln kwd:"n"          # read lower-cased name as first
                             # item of next input line
     case kwd
     when "screensize" then
         read cols, rows     # read what should be two numbers
     ...

-- 
bartc

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Thread

Text Files G B <gb@gb.com> - 2018-02-14 11:47 -0400
  Re: Text Files Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2018-02-14 08:45 -0800
  Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-14 08:47 -0800
    Re: Text Files already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2018-02-15 01:17 -0800
  Re: Text Files gordonb.ea2mq@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2018-02-14 11:10 -0600
  Re: Text Files "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2018-02-14 12:28 -0500
  Re: Text Files jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2018-02-14 21:07 +0000
  Re: Text Files Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2018-02-14 15:31 -0700
    Re: Text Files Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2018-02-15 06:59 +0000
      Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 10:20 +0000
  Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-14 22:51 +0000
    Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-15 11:04 +0100
      Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-15 06:16 -0800
        Re: Text Files "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2018-02-15 22:22 +0800
        Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-15 15:58 +0100
          Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 16:31 +0000
            Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-15 21:31 +0100
              Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 21:21 +0000
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 22:17 +0000
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 23:36 +0000
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 23:48 +0000
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 10:09 +0100
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 12:57 +0000
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 15:50 +0100
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 15:50 +0000
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 17:07 +0100
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 20:44 +0000
                Re: Text Files Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-02-17 11:22 +1300
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-16 17:48 +0000
                Re: Text Files GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2018-02-16 17:06 +0100
                Re: Text Files Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-02-17 11:10 +1300
                Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-16 14:48 -0800
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-16 15:14 -0800
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-16 23:25 +0000
                Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-16 15:50 -0800
          Re: Text Files already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2018-02-16 07:19 -0800
            Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 17:13 +0100
              Re: Text Files Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2018-02-19 17:55 +0000
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-19 19:14 +0100
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-19 11:48 -0800
            Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-16 08:14 -0800
              Re: Text Files Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2018-02-17 18:32 -0600
    Re: Text Files jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2018-02-15 22:57 +0100
      Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 22:58 +0000
        Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 00:19 +0000
          Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 02:26 +0000
            Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-16 02:57 +0000
              Re: Text Files asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2018-02-16 00:21 -0800
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-16 11:30 +0000
          Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 10:36 +0100
            Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-16 11:36 +0000
              Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 13:10 +0100
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 12:25 +0000
                Re: Text Files Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2018-03-06 19:33 +0000
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-03-06 20:55 +0000
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-16 04:42 -0800
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 16:58 +0100
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 20:02 +0000
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 21:43 +0100
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-17 04:01 -0800
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-17 13:10 +0000
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-17 05:27 -0800
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-17 14:20 +0000
                Re: Text Files Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2018-02-16 09:04 -0700
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-16 14:31 +0000
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-16 06:42 -0800
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-16 14:58 +0000
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-16 07:23 -0800
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-16 15:24 +0000
              Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-16 04:13 -0800
                Re: Text Files Siri Cruise <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2018-02-16 04:29 -0800
                Re: Text Files Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2018-02-20 16:41 +0000
                Re: Text Files Siri Cruise <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2018-02-20 09:39 -0800
                Re: Text Files Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2018-02-20 19:16 +0000
  Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 12:46 +0000
    Re: Text Files GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2018-02-15 14:52 +0100
    Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-02-15 17:07 +0300
      Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 14:23 +0000
        Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-02-15 18:52 +0300
    Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 14:39 +0000
      Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 15:43 +0000
        Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 20:32 +0000
          Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 22:06 +0000
            Re: Text Files GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2018-02-15 23:12 +0100
            Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-15 15:12 -0800
              Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 23:43 +0000
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 23:54 +0000
            Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 23:35 +0000
          Re: Text Files Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-02-16 17:07 -0800
            Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-17 02:38 +0000
              Re: Text Files Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-02-17 17:26 +1300
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-17 11:22 +0000
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-17 12:07 +0000
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-17 04:17 -0800
                Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-02-17 16:25 +0300
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-17 07:35 -0800
                Re: Text Files GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2018-02-17 15:24 +0100
                Re: Text Files Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-02-18 11:10 +1300
              Re: Text Files Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-02-19 12:05 -0800
                Re: Text Files already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2018-02-19 15:32 -0800
                Re: Text Files Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-02-21 10:34 -0800
                Re: Text Files already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2018-02-21 15:35 -0800
                Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-22 00:11 +0000
                Re: Text Files Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2018-02-21 18:26 -0600
                Re: Text Files Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-02-21 21:39 -0800
                Re: Text Files Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2018-02-23 03:08 -0600
                Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-23 16:16 -0800
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-23 16:46 -0800
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-24 02:49 -0800
                Re: Text Files asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2018-02-24 05:16 -0800
                Re: Text Files "F. Russell" <fr@random.info> - 2018-02-24 14:35 +0000
                Re: Text Files Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2018-02-24 08:48 -0700
                Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-25 15:09 -0800
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-25 15:54 -0800
                Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-26 11:04 -0800
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-26 11:52 -0800
                Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-26 14:12 -0800
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-26 14:40 -0800
                Re: Text Files already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2018-02-22 04:58 -0800
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-22 05:33 -0800
                Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-22 13:59 +0000
                Re: Text Files Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2018-02-22 07:24 -0800
              Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-20 12:14 -0800
        Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-15 21:37 +0100
          Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-15 21:34 +0000
            Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-15 14:15 -0800
            Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-16 10:47 +0100
  Re: Text Files "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2018-02-15 22:20 +0800
  Re: Text Files "F. Russell" <fr@random.info> - 2018-02-15 15:24 +0000
    Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-15 16:05 +0000
    Re: Text Files "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2018-02-16 00:22 +0800
    Re: Text Files Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2018-02-15 13:35 -0700
  Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-02-25 00:13 +0300
    Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-24 21:24 +0000
      Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-02-25 14:55 +0300
        Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-25 13:00 +0000
    Re: Text Files Real Troll <Real.Troll@Trolls.com> - 2018-02-24 17:35 -0400
    Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-24 21:36 +0000
      Re: Text Files Real Troll <Real.Troll@Trolls.com> - 2018-02-24 17:45 -0400
      Re: Text Files Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2018-02-24 22:51 +0000
        Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-24 23:56 +0000
          Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-25 00:14 +0000
            Re: Text Files bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2018-02-25 00:22 +0000
            Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-02-25 15:16 +0300
              Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-25 15:20 -0800
                Re: Text Files Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2018-02-25 20:27 -0700
                Re: Text Files gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2018-02-26 06:19 +0000
                Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-02-26 15:35 +0300
                Re: Text Files Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2018-02-26 20:53 +0800
                Grammar Patrol (Was: Text Files) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2018-02-26 17:54 +0000
                Re: Text Files Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2018-02-26 15:27 +0000
                Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2018-02-26 18:50 +0300
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-26 09:26 -0800
                Re: Text Files scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-02-26 19:46 +0000
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-27 09:04 +0100
                Re: Text Files already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2018-02-27 00:56 -0800
                Re: Text Files Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2018-02-27 22:07 +1300
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-27 14:37 +0100
                Re: Text Files already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2018-02-27 07:38 -0800
                Re: Text Files supercat@casperkitty.com - 2018-02-27 09:18 -0800
                Re: Text Files David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2018-02-27 10:15 +0100
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-27 08:53 -0800
                Re: Text Files Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-02-26 23:14 -0800
                Re: Text Files Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2018-02-26 08:32 -0700
                Re: Text Files Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2018-02-26 09:17 -0800
                Re: Text Files Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2018-02-26 22:55 -0800
      Re: Text Files Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2018-02-25 15:02 +0300
        Re: Text Files Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2018-02-25 20:12 +0000

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