[fpc-pascal] Re: What is the most widely used Pascal on Linux and other Unix variants?

[Lars]

Frank Church wrote:
> 5. This requires an increase in the uptake of Pascal. I mean if a language
> like D can get so much attention and have libraries being created for it
> why can't Pascal which has been longer established.
>

Another language to check out is TutorialD by Date and Darwen, a pascal
like relational database language. Another interesting one which there is
almost no information about is "Pascal/R" which was a relational pascal
that died quickly, but I don't know why.


> 6.  I guess one major shortcoming of Pascal is it is not immediately
> identified with objects, like C. Can Free Pascal simply change its name to
> Object Pascal

Not all of freepascal is object oriented, a lot of it is simple procedural
and you have the option to use objects if you want. Java and Ruby make the
grand mistake of making everything an object and forcing you to code in
objects when you shouldn't have to. C# the ugly java rip off language also
forces you into objects and classes.  If IntToStr was welded in to some
object and I had to create an "IntToStr object" before calling IntToStr,
that would suck major.

What would be nice is some actual innovation in programming languages
instead of reinventing C++ over and over again.  I think what languages
need is a relational twist to them. A new data type known as the Table in
our langauges instead of arrays and records. It is known as a Relvar in
TutorialD. We use ugly "object relational (o/r) mappers" instead of having
tables and relvars in our language. Too many people reinvent the database
using arrays, associative arrays, stringlists, TLists - all this should be
a database table that you can create easily in your language instead of
resorting to embedding SQL strings into your program.

> Honestly I think the name is probably the biggest problem if in an era of
> objects everything it is not associated with Pascal due to its age and
> past.
>

Objects everything.. yuck.. I still like simple procedural code for
teaching people and for doing quick prototypes, I think one of the biggest
mistakes of the industry is obsession with objects and not enough
education about relational techniques (http://www.dbdebunk.com)