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Subject:
From:
Samuel Mize <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Samuel Mize <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 25 Nov 1998 10:08:05 -0600
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Tucker Taft wrote:

> In general, I find the heavy use of pragmas unpleasant.

I agree with that as an aesthetic judgement.

However, part of the promise of the ASIS interface -- as I understand
it -- is that it will let us do more automated semantic analysis of
code.  I see three general ways to indicate which semantic constraints
should be checked for a given chunk of code:

- mandate that it should always be true

- use a non-semantic marker, like a file extension, comment flag,
  or type name postfix

- use a pragma to indicate that a given semantic constraint should
  apply to a given chunk (package, subprogram, type, or whatever)

So I expect to see new pragmas that define various semantic
constraints, and ASIS tools that will check them, and that this
overall will move more error-detection and correction into
earlier phases of development.

I am assuming that an ASIS-compliant compiler will indicate
pragmas via the ASIS interface.  I have not yet learned a lot about
ASIS.  (Can someone recommend a good tutorial?  If it isn't
handy, don't bother -- I'll track it down through adahome later.)


> Ada ... has more in common with Common Lisp Object System
> and Haskell, where there can be multiple "controlling" operands, and they are
> all "inside" the parentheses.  This has a number of advantages.

I agree.  I would consider the C++ style to be a less-powerful
subset of the Ada approach.

Some folks wants to use a subset of the base capability of the
language, like using "positive" instead of "integer."

I think it's great that they can do so, and have the flexibility to
step out of those limits when it makes sense.

I think it may help them to understand Ada's potential to see a
way to limit Ada usage down to their familiar idiom, and I think
it may be an epiphany for them to realize that it *would* require
limiting Ada to match C++.

Best,
Sam Mize

--
Samuel Mize -- [log in to unmask] (home email) -- Team Ada
Fight Spam: see http://www.cauce.org/ \\\ Smert Spamonam

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