From: cross@spitfire.i.gajendra.net   
      
   In article <107r4db$1vod3$3@dont-email.me>,   
   Arne Vajhøj   wrote:   
   >On 8/15/2025 10:22 PM, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:   
   >> On Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:48:14 -0400, Arne Vajhøj wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> In general I like the idea of writing code in a way that does not   
   >>> require the reader to have memorized ten thousand things from the   
   >>> language spec.   
   >>   
   >> What language spec has room for ten thousand things in it, anyway?   
   >   
   >> ... oh, Java.   
   >   
   >Language specs for modern languages tend to be pretty big.   
   >   
   >Java 21 is 872 pages (no library)   
   >C 23 is 761 pages (basic library)   
      
   Much of that is examples, footnotes, and handling bizarre edge   
   cases that happen as a result of the fact that C never had (and   
   never will have) formal semantics, and so instead the spec   
   defines and targets an "abstract virtual machine" that often   
   doesn't map to real harware.   
      
   >C++ 11 is 1334 pages (basic library)   
   >Fortran 2018 is 646 pages (basic library)   
   >Cobol 2014 is 923 pages (basic library)   
   >Ada 2012 is 951 pages (basic library)   
   >C# 6.0 is 639 pages (no library)   
      
   It's important to note that all of these specifications are   
   intended primarily for compiler writers, not end users of the   
   langauge (read: most programmers).  While e.g. the C standard   
   _is_ the final word on the language, most C programmers don't   
   need to consult it on a daily basis, if ever.   
      
   The size of a spec may be a useful proxy for describing the   
   complexity of the language, or it may not.  It really depends on   
   the language.   
      
   	- Dan C.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)