Re: D3/Linux compile question

Congratulations Robert and thank you for at least getting the option
accepted
Peter McMurray
"uiterwyk" <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:52ab31b0-430e-4abe-99f9-704d72fe11d9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am happy to see others agree with my view that ARRAY(0) is a
mathematical oxymoron, though unfortunately a programing defacto
standard.

Peter, to as your question as to where this idiocy started: At least
as far back as "Dartmouth Basic".
The ANSI Basic standard committee X332 proposed the zero standard
(with an option statement of OPTION BASE 1 overriding it) and it was
eventually adopted

In my notes to a Basic Interpreter I wrote in 1976 for the Motorola
M6800 (sic), I said, among other things:
<snip>there is one instance where I could not see eye to eye with the
committee</snip> ... <snip>Therefore, I have taken an author's
privilege and forced a base of 1 [for arrays] in all cases.</snip>

Unfortunately, even that early I was swimming against a larger tide,
and base zero won (although OPTION BASE 1 continued through to MS
Visual Basic).

Robert Uiterwyk
"
On Feb 14, 10:45 pm, "frosty" <fros...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
ISTR an "A0" attribute definition in Pick.

--
frosty

Excalibur wrote:
Hi Mark
I can remember seeing documentation on one of the Pick variants that
described the Item Id as Attribute 0 I choked and spluttered then
also.:-) Peter McMurray
"Mark Brown" <Mark_Br...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:rsKdnUH2Zs_fSCnanZ2dnUVZ_gednZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Well, let's see. The data is stored something like this:

ID <am> attr1 <am> att2 <am> etc

So, if att1 is stored in attribute ONE, then the ID must be stored in
attribute ZERO.

Taking the idea of a dynamic array and applying it to a dimensioned
array, it might be fair to assume that reading an item from a file
into a DIM'd array might put the item ID in attr "0".

Of course, it doesn't, but there's no reason to let facts get in the
way of a good story.

Mark

"Peter McMurray" <excalibu...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Eh3tj.14991$421.7715@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Chandru
I am pleased to see that you agree on zero starts. Does anyone know
how this idiotic interpretation of zero arose as I would love to
know. Let's face it the concept of zero is one of the great gifts
of the 8th century Arab world to us all.
Peter McMurray


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: D3/Linux compile question
    ... Peter, to as your question as to where this idiocy started: ... The ANSI Basic standard committee X332 proposed the zero standard ... and base zero won (although OPTION BASE 1 continued through to MS ...
    (comp.databases.pick)
  • Re: Requesting advice how to clean up C code for validating string represents integer
    ... Linkname: c standard - clc-wiki ... with a signed zero (including all IEC 60559 implementations) ... that follow the specification of annex G, the sign of zero ... between brake pedal and brake pads being through a complicated ...
    (comp.lang.c)
  • Re: NULL and zeros
    ... The machine's bizarre internal representation does not excuse the implementation from its obligations. ... standard. ... The standard indeed does not specify what an "all bytes zero" or "all ... the originator of this calloc() is clueless -- my personal ...
    (comp.lang.c)
  • Re: A dead subject
    ... >> made the formula easier, ... > BTW - how many subtractions are required to transform my standard ... Some are already set equal to zero and MOST are not. ... think it is about time that mathematicians stop worshipping zero. ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: NULL and zeros
    ... Standard says in 7.20.3.1: "The calloc function allocates space for an array of nmemb objects, ... If you are excluding such machines, you are in the wrong newsgroup.", and it's no good. ... bits zero by a call to callocif deemed necessary. ...
    (comp.lang.c)
Loading