Interview - Interview with Dennis Ritchie (Dennis M. Ritchie) creator of the programming language "C".

<b>Interview</b> - Interview with Dennis Ritchie (Dennis M.
Ritchie) creator of the programming language

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   Interview with Dennis Ritchie (Dennis M.
Ritchie)


   Manuel Benet


   Who is Dennis Ritchie?


   Someone becomes famous, getting in
history, someone gets the glory of making it.
Dennis Ritchie belongs to the second
categories of people. When many of us still
just learning to walk, he invented a language
"C", the most popular language
Programming today.
General human importance of this event is not
needs confirmation.

   But it seemed to him enough.
Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson developed
operating system, Unix. Operating room.
System. Yes, they have created a UNIX!.

   (Dennis Ritchie is one of the authors
the slogan "Sex, Drugs' Unix!". Authorship
slogan of the era of political correctness, "Vitamins,
Condoms' Posix "is unknown. Ca. Perevi.)

   He did not stop there - now,
Under his leadership, developed
Projects Plan 9 and Inferno.

   The contribution of this human science evaluated
many organizations - Reward
outstanding achievements in the field of systems and
programming languages, ACM, 1974.;
Reward Society IEEE (1982); Bell
Laboratories Fellow (1983); Award
Computer Society of Turing machines
ACMT (1983) award from the fund company C'C
NEC (1989): IEEE Hamming Medal (1990), and
etc.

   Now Dennis Ritchie directs
Department of Research
System software
Scientific Computing Center of the company
Bell Labs / Lucent Technologies in Murray
Hill, ea. New Jersey.



   LF: Many children would like to
Superman. In exactly the same way you are
idol for several generations
programmers in C and UNIX fans throughout
world. How is a person
adored by thousands of programmers? After
absolutely impossible to imagine
modern life without UNIX and C. Understand
Do you think that create the future, when established
C and begun work on UNIX?


   Dennis: I am often asked these questions, and
almost always link them. Of course
was pleased to say that we
felt and understood that to create something
having intrinsic value. But, in
Indeed, we do not believe what we are doing
"History" that our work will be as
significant. I wanted to do something that
would help me and my colleagues at work,
know, in the spirit of "let's do something
useful. "This is important to remember, because
Although UNIX, languages C / C + + occupy a large
place in computer science, real world
technologies and applications is much larger.
It is still true for academic
research and commercial
programming.

   (Anatole France once said: "No
not given to create masterpieces, but something
can become a masterpiece, courtesy of
of time. "TRANSFER comment.)


   LF: UNIX - it's past and present
operating systems, with the letter "C"
always associated the word "Language", but
it should be noted that in recent years
shows the confrontation between these
language and object - oriented
languages. What do you think about these languages,
as C + + and Java and the fierce debate between
programmers in C and C + +?


   Dennis: C + + drew great benefit from
language C, because C is widely
spread long before C + +.
C + + and C can be used as a basis for
creating new languages as a tool for
creating compilers for them. C language
can be described as a portable
assembler, while the C + + tries
operate facilities and make
Programming a greater level of
abstraction. Common Disadvantages
include the desire to make a speaker
minor improvements that are likely
reminiscent of worthless trinkets. They both
carry the spirit of pragmatism, the attempt
understand what the reality is necessary.
Java - an obvious descendant of C + + set back
With a heritage and built on the idea
machine-independent object code,
By the way, not so new, how can
seem. This led to mutual hostility
between Sun and Microsoft (and each of these
Companies rite good idea to mock
hood of his own design). Difficult
guess how it would be.


   LF: A hypothetical question: Given a
shoulders a great experience and many years
Programming in C, what would you change
in C, if you could go back and
begin to develop again?


   Dennis: Invented a way to (taking into account
time limit, which I had then)
to the argument types of functions were
fully defined, ie that later
some time been proposed in
standards of ANSI / ISO standard and in 1989
has been called function prototypes.
There are many small defects, which
could have been avoided. For example
interpretation of the word "static", sometimes
used wrongly. I still do not
confident in the correctness of syntax
declaration of variables, allowing
use of a variable out of context
type. Subsequently, it was criticized
very seriously, but what's done is
done.

   (Ritchie spoke about it in the first
edition of the book "The C Programming Language"
Ca. TRANSFER.)


   LF: While C was well
defined and elaborated language
operating systems continue to
to evolve rapidly. New Ideas
arise as the "iron"
becomes faster and cheaper. To your
opinion, in what areas will be
develop an OS? Will the development in
towards micro-nano-kernel, or win
supporters of "monolithic" design?


   Dennis: I do not think this is a
really interesting.
Personally, I prefer such an environment,
which gives the application is well
structured, single space
names and means of access to resources, ie
line of Unix systems (to which I refer, and
Linux), Plan 9, Inferno. From my point
view the concept of micro-or nano-kernel is not
is really important, at least
for general purpose. Micro-kernel
likely to be used in
specialized systems, managed
macro-systems. Ie micro-kernel can
exist within a larger system, but
not by itself. But, of course, the world is great
and it certainly will be a place simple
operating system that is suitable for
a small application, but does not
for general-purpose computer, whether it is
desktop or mainframe.


   LF: Now is the UNIX operating
system with a great history. She
created many years ago, since then
opportunities and needs of the equipment,
networks, services and applications have increased
a monstrous way. What are the
UNIX restriction and possible obstruction
its use with the growing demands
users in the near future?


   Dennis: I do not see any fundamental or
technological barriers if
think in terms of basic API ("system
calls "). I do not want to consider different
political or commercial factors
"The lists" between different
manufacturers of commercial versions of Unix,
as well as between the "free", including
Linux and the BSD family of systems.


   LF: In recent years much attention
given to the problem in 2000,
potential disruption of the many
systems due to the infamous error
Y2K. Do you believe the apocalyptic
predictions by some experts?


   Dennis: To tell the truth, I can not give
competent response. I can only say
I was not going to be in the air
23:59 31 December 1999. For all my life I
never met the new year in an airplane.
But it probably has nothing to do
the problem of Y2K.


   LF: Interviews would be incomplete without
story about the Inferno, the operating system,
over which you are currently working. That
prompted you to begin to develop a completely
the new system, moreover, with its own
programming language Limbo? Why do you
undertook Inferno / Limbo if you already have
JavaVM / Java? In other words, that
Inferno is this that is not in Java?


   Dennis: Inferno - the child thought Phil
Vinterbottoma (Phil Winterbottom) and
Robert Pike (Rob Pike). Work started
long before the circus performances
around Java. In Java has its own
ancestor (call it Oak) and then
time, when the first strokes
Inferno is nothing to indicate future
phenomenon of Java. Although we were aware of Java, this
There was something formless. I believe that
between us and the Sun 'has occurred
convergence, the interpenetration of ideas about
creation of language and its implementation in the form
a portable virtual machine. But the idea
Inferno is more interesting from the point
view of technology OS (ie the language and
operating system may have the same
successfully work independently as a
cheap and simple equipment and in
As an application under Windows, Unix or
Linux). At the same time, Java-technology
Sun's produced an explosion in the market
Agents and WWW.


   LF: It is likely that the future of Limbo
as a programming language is closely related to
increasing popularity as Inferno
operating system. Does it make sense
Limbo transfer to other operating systems? Or design and
the appointment of language is inseparable from Inferno?


   Dennis: Technologically Limbo does not
associated with the Inferno. But in fact
dependence is simply due to the fact that
new language depends on the environment in which
it is used.


   LF: If you look at your career
Bell Labs, it would appear that
you are always engaged in those projects
that you really like and I
I think this holds true for
Inferno. Is not it true you are satisfied
their participation in the work on UNIX and
development of C?


   Dennis: I'm really happy with my
work at Bell Labs (which
continues).


   LF: I can not help but compare
between you and all those people who
participate in nonprofit or
completely free project, simply because
that they like the work, although I
sure, they would not have refused the money for
work done for free. Can
you imagine participating in projects
such as Linux or, more simply, to provide
themselves outside of Bell Labs? Tell us about your
regard to all these people in terms
view of a man with years of experience
work in innovative research
laboratory. First of all I would like to
know your opinion about the project Linux in general,
and the intention of many companies to start
software development for
the OS (eg: Does Bell Labs
porting Inferno under Linux)?


   Dennis: Let me answer all
issues together. I think the phenomenon of Linux
remarkable phenomenon, especially because he
appeared on the uneasy foundations Unix. Linux
looks the most common direct descendant
Unix although there are several versions
BSD-based systems as well as various
official version of producers working
stations, and mainframes. Of course I judge
rather superficially, because unable
survey all the "free resources"
Unix-like systems as well as keep an eye on
all the events that occurred and
continue to occur in the world of commercial
systems.


   LF: Our main question about Linux.
Do you use Linux? If yes,
What is your opinion?



   Dennis: Actually, do not use - in
sense, do not use in my daily
work. I work in a rather strange
the world, combining the Plan 9, Windows and
Inferno. I admire the energy and development
Linux's. Sometimes I get asked similar questions
hoping to hear my zeal or
irritation of the success that
uses Linux as compared to
Unix-systems-known companies. But
we have nothing. Both - the essence of
continuation and development of those ideas, the beginning
that many years ago put Ken
(Thompson, ca. Perevi.) And me.


   LF: And Microsoft ... What do you think about
monopoly of this company to take over
market for desktop machines? In some
sci-fi movie, we see the world in
which govern the large machines
our daily lives. But the reality
draws us to a somewhat different picture. In
many cases, the use of computers
limited to relatively simple cases.
You have developed an operating system for
programmers, and people living in its
own, semi-fantastic world.
However, can you imagine
the true state of affairs. What can you
say about the future of the computer? What place
in the future do you see for Inferno and
Linux?


   Dennis: Actually, here are two
question. Microsoft really has reached
relative monopoly in desktop
systems, but it's not the whole wide world
computers. And commercial and free
programs (such as Linux) and the whole world
systems other than Windows and browsers
(Eg - high
system, particularly strong or particularly
miniature), all it takes and will
to take its place. I believe that the future
also have Linux and Inferno.

Original in English.
Translated into Russian A. Vasiliev
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