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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Top 10 most common hard skills listed on resumes...
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:26:34 -0700
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Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> writes:

> On 17.09.2024 15:57, Tim Rentsch wrote:
>
>> Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> On 01.09.2024 22:07, Tim Rentsch wrote:
>>>
>>>> [...]  The most important purpose of
>>>> the ISO C standard is to be read and understood by ordinary C
>>>> developers, not just compiler writers.  [...]
>>>
>>> Is that part of a preamble or rationale given in the C standard?
>>>
>>> That target audience would surely surprise me.  Myself I've
>>> programmed in quite some programming languages and never read a
>>> standard document of the respective language, nor did I yet met
>>> any programmer who have done so.  All programmer folks I know used
>>> text books to learn and look up things and specific documentation
>>> that comes with the compiler or interpreter products.  (This is of
>>> course just a personal experience.)
>>>
>>> I've also worked a lot with standards documents in various areas
>>> (mainly ISO and ITU-T standards but also some others).  [..]
>>
>> My comment is only about the C standard, not any other standards
>> documents.
>
> Yes, that was obvious.
>
> Are trying to say that the "C standard" is substantially different
> with respect to "readability" to other standards?

To other language reference documents - yes.

> - In the context
> of what has been said, that it's a replacement of a textbook (or at
> least maybe a supplement)?

I would say complement.  These days most language technical material
is written in a tutorial style, sometimes overly so.  Also they
almost always gloss over some of the technical details.

>>> [...]
>>>
>>> I mean, what will a programmer get from the "C" standard that a
>>> well written text book doesn't provide?
>>
>> The text books being imagined here don't exist, because there is no
>> market for them.
>
> I'm speaking about existing textbooks for programming languages.
> (Not sure what you're reading or implying here.)

The books of interest are not just already existing but also
comparably well-written and covering the same ground.  I believe
there are no such books.

>> Very few developers read the C standard.
>
> Yes, that was also my impression.  (And I'm sure to know the reason;
> standards are not suited for, not written for general programmers.
> they, IMO obviously, have another target group.)

I would say the ISO C standard is meant to be read by experienced
software developers.  Not beginners, but ordinary developers who
have gained some level of proficiency in the art.

>> But the
>> impact and influence of those who do is much larger than the small
>> numbers would suggest.
>
> What influence?

You are getting some of that effect by participating in the
newsgroup here, and the longer you stay the more you will
get (perhaps up to the point where you start reading the C
standard yourself).