syntax difference

[Gregory Ewing]

Michael Torrie wrote:
> Pointers are for a different conceptual model, a different (virtual)
> machine architecture.

And even in many lower-level languages that do have pointers,
they're not much like the wild, undisciplined version that you
get in C and C++. In Pascal, for example (and derivatives like
Modula) the only legitimate use for a pointer is to reference
a heap-allocated memory block -- they can't point into the middle
of arbitrary data structures.

I think Pascal does a pretty good job of abstracting the
essential features of the underlying hardware, and it does it
without needing anything like a C-style pointer.

-- 
Greg