==================
The ULM C compiler
==================

The C programming language was designed as a portable assembly language. That
means, on every platform that provides a C compiler the source code can be
translated to platform dependent assembly code. In order to be efficient the
aim of C was to be as close to assembly as possible and as abstract as
necessary. In the great book __The Art of Unix Programming__ by __Eric S.
Raymond__ the C language is described as __thin glue__ (read at least that
section) between software and hardware.

# The most recent standard for the C language is __C18__ and the latest __final
# draft for the C18 standard__ is available for free. The ULM C language is
# intended to be a serious subset of this language. Consider this session as a
# travel back in time to the origins of the language. C was first developed as
# working prototype for a particular architecture (the __PDP-11__) then afterwards 
# generalized and standardized for a larger range of architectures. 
# 
# The C programming language was designed as a more structured assembly language
# for an idealized architecture. Understanding this original intension and
# considering the language as a thin abstraction for assembly code is helpful
# for understanding the language itself and for making proper use of it.
# 
# 
# 
# 
# 
# 
# :links: C18 -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C18_(C_standard_revision)
# 	final draft for the C18 standard -> https://web.archive.org/web/20181230041359if_/http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/abq/c17_updated_proposed_fdis.pdf
# 	PDP-11 -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-11


:links: The Art of Unix Programming -> http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/taoup/html/
	Eric S. Raymond -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_S._Raymond
	thin glue -> http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/taoup/html/ch04s03.html