Same Language - Different Compiler

In the preceding sections, reference is often made to ``the way that FORTRAN does something'' or ``the way that C does something''. However, even different compilers for the same language can do things in a different way if the standard does not specify how that something should be done. A reasonable example is that one FORTRAN compiler might represent a true logical value by the integer 1, whereas another might just as reasonably use $-1$. This is not just a hypothetical problem; the FORTRAN for RISC compiler from MIPS and the DEC FORTRAN for RISC compiler both work on the DECstation and interpret the same number as different logical values. I shall continue to refer to ``the way that FORTRAN does it'', even though it is more correct to refer to ``the way that FORTRAN compiler XYZ implements it''. The distinction is rarely important, but should be borne in mind.