Kernighan & Plauger: Software Tools. Ratfor vs Pascal for a Studentof C?

H

haziz

Kernighan and Plauger's Software Tools book is available in two versions, the original one using code in Ratfor (Rational Fortran: Fortran 66 with C influences, if I am understanding correctly) and in a 1981 revision using Pascal as the language.

Which version would you recommend for a student working mostly in C and why?
 
K

Kaz Kylheku

Kernighan and Plauger's Software Tools book is available in two versions, the
original one using code in Ratfor (Rational Fortran: Fortran 66 with C
influences, if I am understanding
correctly) and in a 1981 revision
Pascal as the language.
Which version would you recommend for a student working mostly in C and why?

" Gee, I'm a student working mostly with C. I've considered and rejected
countless possible textbooks. Doing all that evaluation by myself, without
needing anyone's help, I managd to narrow down the list of books down to two
editions of a single one.

But these editions don't even use C, but rather Ratfor and Pascal. So now I
don't know what to do, and am in grave need of help, going from website to
website to Usenet looking for someone who will help me decide.

PLZ HLP "

Come on, you can't be serious. Haven't you trolled this in enough places?

Go back and read the responses you already got.
 
B

Ben Bacarisse

haziz said:
Kernighan and Plauger's Software Tools book is available in two
versions, the original one using code in Ratfor (Rational Fortran:
Fortran 66 with C influences, if I am understanding correctly) and in
a 1981 revision using Pascal as the language.

Which version would you recommend for a student working mostly in C
and why?

Well, Ratfor is closer to C than Pascal is so, if I had to pick, I'd go
for the original. Also, the Pascal version suffers from the fact that
the Ratfor translator is both and means to an end (a portable language
for the book to use) and an excellent example of the kind of tools the
authors advocate.

But is there nothing newer than a 36 year-old book? I agree it is a
classic (it was a revelation to me as a teenager) but surely someone has
written a modern classic since then? If not, what a good project!
 

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