[fpc-pascal] Fwd: What to do to get new users

[greim at schleibinger.com]

Regarding Memory Management


Its possible to write a Pascal program w/o any pointer, but it may be not elegant and interfaces to some C-like GUI structures, as used in all common OSs, are impossible. 



But, I am using Borland Pascal (sic!) and also FreePascal (no Lazarus) for small embedded system for over 25 years now w/o any pointer. 

Code is sometimes ugly, but it is (proofed by reality with many different projects) hard rock stable for 24/7/365 applications. 

Maybe I am wrong, but afaik, procedural programming w/o objects and pointers requires no add. memory management. 

The size and memory location of all variables is fixed. And, yes, of course, you have to care about an array access, but $R+ is your friend. 



See: N. Wirth Algorithms and Data Structures chapter 4.2: 

"A further consequence of the explicitness of pointers is that it is possible to define and manipulate cyclic
data structures. This additional flexibility yields, of course, not only increased power but also requires
increased care ("erhöhte Sorgfalt" in the German ed.) by the programmer, because the manipulation of cyclic data structures may easily lead to
nonterminating processes.
This phenomenon of power and flexibility being intimately coupled with the danger of misuse is well
known in programming, and it particularly recalls the GOTO statement."


So as in real life: the price for freedom is increased care!

I am awaiting your shitstorms......



Markus

--- original message ---
On October 19, 2024 at 4:27 PM GMT+2 fpc-pascal at lists.freepascal.org wrote:


> On Oct 19, 2024 at 9:15:10 PM, Rainer Stratmann via fpc-pascal <fpc-pascal at lists.freepascal.org> wrote:


>> I really can not see where beginners have to struggle with memory management.

>> If a project gets bigger you have to think about it, yes. It depends on the

>> coding style. In my project I wrote my own memory management for the

>> webserver. It took me 3 weeks of work.




I didn’t mean to get into a big flame war over this and debate the merits of both I’m just telling you what I see in the industry and trends in programming. This isn’t the only thing either just one of the larger ones.



If you really want to know then FPC should conduct a survey and see what users say. Ask existing users and try to reach out to other programmers too.



Regards,

Ryan Joseph
--- end of original message ---
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