Re: Target-specific Front-Ends? (Was: front end changes for altivec)

[Stan Shebs <shebs at apple dot com>]

Dale Johannesen wrote:
> 
> > Now I believe that we do have some leeway to update the AltiVec
> > extension syntax, based on what I know of the size of our installed
> > base and how the code is written.  If there is a compromise that
> > allows us to have one version of GCC instead of three, and requires
> > only minor edits of source (such as {} instead of () for constants),
> > I think we will be able to get our users to adopt it.
> 
> I think the only way our users will adopt a change is if they have no
> choice, and then they will resent it.  I haven't asked them, and neither
> has Stan, I don't think, but from what I've seen they are not much
> interested in issues of language theory.  They just want their code to
> work, and will regard a necessary change to working code as a big minus
> with no perceptible benefit to them.  I even sympathize; they do have
> schedules and limited resources.

In practice, Mac developers will get a nice long transition period.
To use {} vs () as an example, I expect we will support both,
eventually deprecating ().  People interested in Linux compatibility
can start using {} right away, those who are more concerned about
Metrowerks compat can stay with ().

Stan