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From: adamson@csri.toronto.edu (Alan Adamson)
Subject: Re: File name conventions for Ada units
Message-ID: <1990Oct2.220054.7245@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
Summary: There are reasons, but probably not great ones ...	 
Keywords: filename conventions UNIX  .ada  .a
Organization: IBM Canada Ltd., AIX Ada Development
References: <589@censun1.UUCP> <2190@sparko.gwu.edu> <2152@enea.se>
Date: 3 Oct 90 02:00:54 GMT
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

     One reason for restricting possible filenames is to allow the compiler
to behave differently depending on the format of the filename it is acting
on.  This is common (universal?) with C compilers.  Were one in a frame of
mind to market this 'feature', one might invoke such terms as "object-
oriented".

     In the middle of the development cycle for our Ada compiler, we had a
convention of extending any filename without a "." in it by "ada".  Much
debate accompanied the final decision to impose no file-naming restrictions 
at all on the user, but we finally chose that path.

      Having now, many months later, been exposed to the variety of ways our
customers name their Ada source files, I am very thankful we followed this 
path.


Alan Adamson
IBM Canada Ltd.