3 ms·

"Know what else is bad? It's 2012, and MS still has no plans to support C99." This is a ridiculous statement. Microsoft wants to focus on C++ and will not put

by jetti 14y ago

"Know what else is bad? It's 2012, and MS still has no plans to support C99." This is a ridiculous statement. Microsoft wants to focus on C++ and will not put out a C99 compiler. Why is that bad? They obviously feel their efforts would be better spent elsewhere. If you take a look at Wikipedia's list of C99 implementations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C99#Implementations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C99#Implementations) you will see that many of the compilers there don't have full implementations, even though the standard was approved 13 years ago. Yet I don't see people chiming in on any of those compilers to complain of a lack of C99 support.

tjdetwiler 14y ago
"Mostly" compliant and "No" compliance mean the same thing to you?
- jetti 14y ago
  No, but here is the difference. The people behind all of the mostly obviously care about implementing C99. Microsoft has said they are focusing on C++ and not on C for awhile now. If you want to be pissed about C99 support be pissed that it is taking the groups who are implementing it such a long time to get full compliance rather than bother those who have no interest in it.
rawatson 14y ago
Clang, GCC, and Intel are all described as "mostly" supporting C99. This is unfortunate, and it would be nice to see them fully supported, but developer time is limited, and not all of C99's features are in high demand. Unlike MSVC though, these compilers have included the extremely visible features -- things like inline variable declarations, designated initializers, and variable length arrays. I don't think Microsoft should implement C99 in full, but partial support would help students trying to learn C on Windows.
- pjmlp 14y ago
  Just install mingw, which is even better for students given their usual lack of income. Microsoft is not forbidding anyone else to develop C compilers.
- jetti 14y ago
  For students, they could use Pelles C (http://www.smorgasbordet.com/pellesc/ http://www.smorgasbordet.com/pellesc/) which has support for C99 and C11 and is free as well. There are well established alternatives to C99. At this point, Microsoft would be trying to play catch up which would take away from other areas of focus.
- fafner 14y ago
  I guess the difference between mostly for Clang and GCC and full for Sun Studio and IBM is the difference between having a PR department and being an open source project. The important features are available http://gcc.gnu.org/c99status.html http://gcc.gnu.org/c99status.html

by jetti 14y ago

tjdetwiler 14y ago

"Mostly" compliant and "No" compliance mean the same thing to you?

jetti 14y ago
No, but here is the difference. The people behind all of the mostly obviously care about implementing C99. Microsoft has said they are focusing on C++ and not on C for awhile now. If you want to be pissed about C99 support be pissed that it is taking the groups who are implementing it such a long time to get full compliance rather than bother those who have no interest in it.

rawatson 14y ago

Clang, GCC, and Intel are all described as "mostly" supporting C99. This is unfortunate, and it would be nice to see them fully supported, but developer time is limited, and not all of C99's features are in high demand. Unlike MSVC though, these compilers have included the extremely visible features -- things like inline variable declarations, designated initializers, and variable length arrays. I don't think Microsoft should implement C99 in full, but partial support would help students trying to learn C on Windows.

pjmlp 14y ago
Just install mingw, which is even better for students given their usual lack of income. Microsoft is not forbidding anyone else to develop C compilers.
jetti 14y ago
For students, they could use Pelles C (http://www.smorgasbordet.com/pellesc/ http://www.smorgasbordet.com/pellesc/) which has support for C99 and C11 and is free as well. There are well established alternatives to C99. At this point, Microsoft would be trying to play catch up which would take away from other areas of focus.
fafner 14y ago
I guess the difference between mostly for Clang and GCC and full for Sun Studio and IBM is the difference between having a PR department and being an open source project. The important features are available http://gcc.gnu.org/c99status.html http://gcc.gnu.org/c99status.html