From: Linus Torvalds <torvalds <at> linux-foundation.org> Subject: Re: [RF ! onvert builin-mailinfo.

c to use T"e #etter String Librar$. %e&sgrou's: gmane.com'.version-control.git (ate: )**+-*,-*- .+:/*:)0 12T 3- $ears4 .5 &ee6s4 7 da$s and // minutes ago8
On Wed, 5 Sep 2007, Dmitry Kakurin wrote: > > When I first ooked at !it sour"e "ode two thin#s stru"k me as odd: > $% &ure ' as opposed to '((% )o idea why% & ease don*t ta k a+out porta+i ity, > it*s ,S% *YOU* are fu of +u shit%

'(( is a horri+ e an#ua#e% It*s made more horri+ e +y the fa"t that a ot of su+standard pro#rammers use it, to the point where it*s mu"h mu"h easier to #enerate tota and utter "rap with it% -uite frank y, e.en if the "hoi"e of ' were to do *nothing* +ut keep the '(( pro#rammers out, that in itse f wou d +e a hu#e reason to use '% In other words: the "hoi"e of ' is the on y sane "hoi"e% I know /i es ,ader 0okin# y said 1to piss you off1, +ut it*s a"tua y true% I*.e "ome to the "on" usion that any pro#rammer that wou d prefer the pro0e"t to +e in '(( o.er ' is ike y a pro#rammer that I rea y *would* prefer to piss off, so that he doesn*t "ome and s"rew up any pro0e"t I*m in.o .ed with% '(( eads to rea y rea y +ad desi#n "hoi"es% 2ou in.aria+ y start usin# the 1ni"e1 i+rary features of the an#ua#e ike S34 and ,oost and other tota and utter "rap, that may 1he p1 you pro#ram, +ut "auses: 5 infinite amounts of pain when they don*t work 6and any+ody who te s me that S34 and espe"ia y ,oost are sta+ e and porta+ e is 0ust so fu of ,S that it*s not e.en funny7 5 ineffi"ient a+stra"ted pro#rammin# mode s where two years down the road you noti"e that some a+stra"tion wasn*t .ery effi"ient, +ut now a your "ode depends on a the ni"e o+0e"t mode s around it, and you "annot fi8 it without rewritin# your app% In other words, the on y way to do #ood, effi"ient, and system5 e.e and porta+ e '(( ends up to imit yourse f to a the thin#s that are +asi"a y a.ai a+ e in '% 9nd imitin# your pro0e"t to ' means that peop e don*t s"rew that up, and a so means that you #et a ot of pro#rammers that do a"tua y understand ow5 e.e issues and don*t s"rew thin#s up with any idioti" 1o+0e"t mode 1 "rap% So I*m sorry, +ut for somethin# ike #it, where effi"ien"y was a primary o+0e"ti.e, the 1ad.anta#es1 of '(( is 0ust a hu#e mistake% 3he fa"t that we a so piss off peop e who "annot see that is 0ust a +i# additiona ad.anta#e% If you want a :'S that is written in '((, #o p ay with /onotone% ;ea y% 3hey use a 1rea data+ase1% 3hey use 1ni"e o+0e"t5oriented i+raries1% 3hey use 1ni"e '(( a+stra"tions1% 9nd <uite frank y, as a resu t of a these desi#n de"isions that sound so appea in# to some 'S peop e, the end resu t is a horri+ e and unmaintaina+ e mess% ,ut I*m sure you*d ike it more than #it% 4inus