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libmem_cpy-strnrrn-std-clib_Cmvaeffc_ld-TWA_nif.aarch64(32bit)2-0.13.2-23.2.so.7(3).1.1.gz.conf (programming.dev)

submitted 1 year ago by muleunchangedstarved@programming.dev to c/programmer_humor@programming.dev

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"It's just easier to type" and other lies you believe

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[-] words_number@programming.dev 32 points 1 year ago

Seriously though, why? Is there historic reasons for that? Did they have to pay extra for more letters back in the day?

[-] scurry@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago

Yes. Memory and storage were at a very high premium until the 1990s, and when C was first being developed, it wasn’t uncommon for computers to output to printers (that’s why print() and co are named what they are), so every character was at a premium. In the latter case, you were literally paying in ink and paper by the character. These contributed to this convention that we’re still stuck with today in C.

[-] words_number@programming.dev 5 points 1 year ago

Thanks for the insight! I think this kind of convention that once made some sense, is now exclusively harmful, but is still followed meticulously, is often called "tradition" and is one of the high speed engines that let humanity drive towards extinction.

[-] scurry@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I agree, and these conventions are being followed less over time. Since the 1990s, Windows world, Objective-C, and C++ have been migrating away (to mixed results), and even most embedded projects have been too. The main problem is that the standard library is already like that, and one of C’s biggest selling point is that you can still use source written >40 years ago, and interact with that. So just changing that, at that point just use Go or something. I also want to say, shoutout to GNU for being just so obstinate about changing nothing except for what they make evil about style. Gotta be one of my top 5 ‘why can’t you just be good leaders, GNU?’ moments.