Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 11:17:07 -0700 From: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> To: Valentin Nechayev <netch@iv.nn.kiev.ua> Cc: Dag-Erling Smorgrav <des@ofug.org> Subject: Re: gcc bug? Openoffice port impossibel to compile on 4.8 Message-ID: <3ED8F1A3.DECBFA23@mindspring.com> References: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0305221020170.82473-100000@InterJet.elischer.org> <20030528231134.GE23471@spc.org> <xzpr86ib50f.fsf@flood.ping.uio.no> <xzpr86g2b9y.fsf@flood.ping.uio.no> <20030531073141.GA5288@iv.nn.kiev.ua>
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Valentin Nechayev wrote: > Essential words are understriked. I can't imagine how it can be read > as "unsupported". > Non-native English speaking. Specifically: > DES> They are retained because of their widespread use, > DES> but their use in new implementations (for > ~~~ > DES> implementation features) or new programs (for language > ~~~ > DES> [6.11] or library features [7.26]) is discouraged. So... "implementations"... what is the direct object, and what is the implied object for what's being discouraged here? A non-native English speaker could easily interpret this to mean "new compiler implementations", instead of what was intended, which is "new program implementations using the language defined herein". Another less likely interpretation is just what "discouraged" means... does the compiler emit a message? Does it emit a warning? Does it emit an error? An error truly *would* be "discouraging". Again, the distinction that allows something to be "discouraged" without being "discouraging", in that particular sense, is generally lost on the non-native English speaker (look up "gerund", if you get a chance). DESs interpretation is clearly wrong; on the other hand, the standards language is ambiguous, unless you are very familiar with English (more than most native English speakers are familiar with it, in fact). -- Terry
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