Re: line endings in Lout

[Robert A Duff]

> can
> end in CR, LF, CR+LF, or LF+CR.

You've got the right approach, I think.  This is what I've done in
writing compilers.  I understand you to mean: Read all text input files
in binary mode, on both DOS/Windows and Unix.  Make sure the lexer can
deal with all of the above line-ending notations.  Then you can count
characters in the input without getting confused.  And users can copy
files between Unix and DOS/Windows without causing trouble.

Write text output files in text mode, so they "fit in" with that OS.

> Since I've never used a DOS system in my life, 

Lucky you.  ;-)

>...and have
> no way to test stuff on DOS, I would be very grateful
> if DOS-savvy people could comment on the feasibility
> and desirability of this proposal.

Yes, it is feasible and desirable.

- Bob

P.S. I don't know of any OS that uses LF+CR.  Unix uses LF, Macs use CR,
and DOS/Windows uses CR+LF (although more and more Windows programs are
able to deal with plain LF, as well, these days).