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Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:12:50 -0600 (MDT)
Message-Id: <20090423.131250.756905613.imp@bsdimp.com>
Subject: Re: [Qemu-devel] [7234] Use a more natural order
From: "M. Warner Losh" <imp@bsdimp.com>
In-Reply-To: <20090423185308.GH3795@csclub.uwaterloo.ca>
References: <E1Lx3gB-0002ko-Iq@cvs.savannah.gnu.org>
	<20090423185308.GH3795@csclub.uwaterloo.ca>
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To: lsorense@csclub.uwaterloo.ca
Cc: blauwirbel@gmail.com, qemu-devel@nongnu.org

In message: <20090423185308.GH3795@csclub.uwaterloo.ca>
            lsorense@csclub.uwaterloo.ca (Lennart Sorensen) writes:
: On Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 06:29:47PM +0000, Blue Swirl wrote:
: > Revision: 7234
: >           http://svn.sv.gnu.org/viewvc/?view=rev&root=qemu&revision=7234
: > Author:   blueswir1
: > Date:     2009-04-23 18:29:47 +0000 (Thu, 23 Apr 2009)
: > Log Message:
: > -----------
: > Use a more natural order
: 
: It may be more natural, but it is also less safe.
: 
: After all
: 
: if (0 = x) {
: 
: fails compile, while
: 
: if (x = 0) {
: 
: compiles silently even when you didn't mean that.

This style is evil and must die.  I don't know any nice way to put
it.  It encourages sloppiness.  Also, it breaks down when you add
inequality:

if (x < 1)

becomes

if (1 >= x)

which is also error prone.

The compiler will warn about your example, but won't warn if I
transcribe things wrongly as

if (1 < x)

: Some people also think month/day/year is more natural as a date format,
: but it is confusing and impractical to actually use.

True, but irrelevant.

Warner