4 ms·

Sounds expensive, thanks. So: Preface to the Digital Edition of Kernighan and Ritchie's The C Programming Language Oct 31, 2012 “… Remarkably, in spite of all

by kelas 3y ago

Sounds expensive, thanks. So: Preface to the Digital Edition of Kernighan and Ritchie's The C Programming Language Oct 31, 2012 “… Remarkably, in spite of all of this change, C retains a central position. It is still the core language for operating system implementation and tool building. It remains unequaled for portability, efficiency, and ability to get close to the hardware when necessary. C has sometimes been called a high-level assembler, and this is not a bad characterization of how well it spans the range from intricate data structure and control flow to the lowest level of external devices.” (sorry, I messed up the lyrics a bit, but also I didn’t, really) Also, my computer is a fast Turing machine. And so is yours.

lproven 3y ago
I can't make any sense of a single sentence of that. > Sounds expensive, thanks Huh? What does? The paper is entirely free. That's why I posted a link. Go read it. It's not very long, it's interesting, it's accessible, it's provocative and insightful and profound. > Kernighan and Ritchie Creator of C is biased about the language he created. Shock. Pictures at 11. K&R was published in 1988. Then, your PC was to some degree a fast PDP-11. That was over 1/3 of a century ago and it is no longer even remotely true. > Also, my computer is a fast Turing machine. And so is yours. Reductio ad absurdam. Here's a talk from the inventor of the Arm architecture. It's pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lOnpQgn-9s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lOnpQgn-9s She talks about her more recent baby, Firepath. It can, for instance, in a single opcode and a single CPU cycle load 4 separate different 32 bit integers, multiply them by 4 other 32-bit ints and store the result. (Around 25 min in but it's very worth watching the whole talk.) Her point is that C can't express stuff like this well at all. A modern CPU has dozens of execution units doing stuff in parallel, applying matrix operations and transformations to multiple different streams of data simultaneously: SIMD and MIMD combined. C has no way of even beginning to express any of this. C is no more a high-level assembly language for any 21st century CPU than a Falcon-9 reusable orbital launch vehicle is a space-going version of the Wright Flyer.
- kelas 3y ago
  > The paper is entirely free. That's why I posted a link. Go read it. It's not very long, it's interesting, it's accessible, it's provocative and insightful and profound… …and I already read it and you already have my reflections on this piece of work :) > …SIMD and MIMD combined. C has no way of even beginning to express any of this. Man, no hard feelings, but I suggest you start with K&R refresher and then work your way up to modern C. It is remarkably easy to learn, you’ll come around. What you deem impossible is very possible. Once you’re comfortable with basic C, I recommend cloning the repo of Lemire’s blog. Just to see what’s available.

by kelas 3y ago

lproven 3y ago

I can't make any sense of a single sentence of that. > Sounds expensive, thanks Huh? What does? The paper is entirely free. That's why I posted a link. Go read it. It's not very long, it's interesting, it's accessible, it's provocative and insightful and profound. > Kernighan and Ritchie Creator of C is biased about the language he created. Shock. Pictures at 11. K&R was published in 1988. Then, your PC was to some degree a fast PDP-11. That was over 1/3 of a century ago and it is no longer even remotely true. > Also, my computer is a fast Turing machine. And so is yours. Reductio ad absurdam. Here's a talk from the inventor of the Arm architecture. It's pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lOnpQgn-9s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lOnpQgn-9s She talks about her more recent baby, Firepath. It can, for instance, in a single opcode and a single CPU cycle load 4 separate different 32 bit integers, multiply them by 4 other 32-bit ints and store the result. (Around 25 min in but it's very worth watching the whole talk.) Her point is that C can't express stuff like this well at all. A modern CPU has dozens of execution units doing stuff in parallel, applying matrix operations and transformations to multiple different streams of data simultaneously: SIMD and MIMD combined. C has no way of even beginning to express any of this. C is no more a high-level assembly language for any 21st century CPU than a Falcon-9 reusable orbital launch vehicle is a space-going version of the Wright Flyer.

kelas 3y ago
> The paper is entirely free. That's why I posted a link. Go read it. It's not very long, it's interesting, it's accessible, it's provocative and insightful and profound… …and I already read it and you already have my reflections on this piece of work :) > …SIMD and MIMD combined. C has no way of even beginning to express any of this. Man, no hard feelings, but I suggest you start with K&R refresher and then work your way up to modern C. It is remarkably easy to learn, you’ll come around. What you deem impossible is very possible. Once you’re comfortable with basic C, I recommend cloning the repo of Lemire’s blog. Just to see what’s available.