XPost: alt.folklore.computers   
   From: tnp@invalid.invalid   
      
   On 06/01/2026 23:44, Dan Cross wrote:   
   > In article ,   
   > c186282 wrote:   
   >> On 1/6/26 05:10, The Natural Philosopher wrote:   
   >>> On 06/01/2026 03:27, Peter Flass wrote:   
   >>>> On 1/5/26 12:50, John Ames wrote:   
   >>>>> On Mon, 5 Jan 2026 12:33:53 -0700   
   >>>>> Peter Flass wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> Actually, many systems programming languages have no I/O, the idea   
   >>>>>> being that non-OS programs call the OS to do the I/O, and the OS   
   >>>>>> interacts directly with the hardware.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> "Systems programming" usually implies implementation of an OS, though,   
   >>>>> and IIRC that was the sense that Kernighan was using. You can't excuse   
   >>>>> limitations by "oh, the OS handles that" when your program *is* the OS.*   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> * (Obviously, there's a certain point in any HLL where Deep Magic has   
   >>>>> to handle interfacing between language constructs and bare metal,   
   but   
   >>>>> the higher up the "threshold of minimum abstraction" is, the less   
   >>>>> suitable it is for systems programming in the first place.   
   >>>>> Of course, there's also the problem where seemingly *any* language   
   >>>>> that's not designed for systems programming will ultimately get   
   >>>>> pressed into service for systems programming *somewhere...*)   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I seem to recall reading that someone once wrote an OS in COBOL.   
   >>>   
   >>> From what little I know COBOL looked very like assembler.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> If assembler was RIDICULOUSLY WORDY :-)   
   >   
   > MOVE THE IMMEDIATE MODE OPERAND WITH VALUE 42 INTO REGISTER A0   
   > AND ADD THE VALUE AT THE LOCATION 1234 DECIMAL GIVING A BYTE   
   > RESULT STORING INTO REGISTER "Z ZERO"   
   >   
   Well at least its unambiguous...   
      
      
   > - Dan C.   
   >   
      
   --   
   "Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and   
   higher education positively fortifies it."   
      
    - Stephen Vizinczey   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)   
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