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Re: [using gcc book] ch1 rewrite
Chris Devers <cdevers@pobox.com> writes:
> On Tue, 2 Sep 2003, Zack Weinberg wrote:
>
>> Chris Devers <cdevers@pobox.com> writes:
>>
>> > The abbreviation @dfn{GCC} has multiple meanings in common use.
>> > Historically, the abbreviation stood for ``GNU C Compiler''; this
>> > sense of the name is still common when the emphasis is on compiling C
>> > programs. However, the name is now defined generically for the
>> > compiler collection as a whole, referring to all languages supported
>> > by the suite.
>>
>> The second sentence here reads awkwardly. I would suggest instead
>>
>> | The current official meaning is ``GNU Compiler Collection'', which
>> | refers generically to the complete suite of supported languages.
>
> Hmm.
>
> This does seem like an improvement, but it makes sense to me to still
> mention the historical sense of the term. Personally, before getting
> involved with this book, I also thought that GCC stood for "GNU C
> Compiler", and wasn't aware of the newer meaning.
I didn't mean to strike out the first two sentences, just to replace
the last one with the above.
> The abbreviation @dfn{GCC} has multiple meanings in common use.
> The current official meaning is ``GNU Compiler Collection'', which
> refers generically to the complete suite of tools. The name once
> stood for ``GNU C Compiler'', and this usage is still common when
> the emphasis is on compiling C programs. However, the name is now
> defined generically for the compiler collection as a whole,
> referring to all languages supported by the suite. Finally,
> the name is also used when speaking of the @dfn{language-independent}
> component of GCC: code shared among the compilers for all supported
> languages.
>
> Any better? I'm not sure...
It's "... defined generically for the compiler collection as a whole ..."
that I find awkward. How about just this:
> The abbreviation @dfn{GCC} has multiple meanings in common use.
> The current official meaning is ``GNU Compiler Collection'', which
> refers generically to the complete suite of tools. The name
> historically stood for ``GNU C Compiler'', and this usage is still
> common when the emphasis is on compiling C programs. Finally, the
> name is also used when speaking of the @dfn{language-independent}
> component of GCC: code shared among the compilers for all
> supported languages.
zw