Re: The cost of is separate

[rational.com!kdm@uunet.uu.net (Kent Mitchell)]

Mike Ryer (ryer@inmet.camb.inmet.com) wrote:
<< lots of valid stuff deleted>>
: I believe that all current Ada compilers go all the way through code generati
on
: at compilation time.

This is mostly true.  However, the Rational Environment compiler decouples 
semantic analysis from code generation.  This allows for full code 
optomization even in the case of separates.

<<more valid stuff deleted>>

: It occurs to me that if the compiler has to view the subunit as "unknown
: mucking around with everything in sight", that the human who is reviewing
: the parent unit must make the same assumption.  Even if the human reviewer
: happens to have already seen the subunit, he has no assurance that it won't
: change after the design of the parent unit has been blessed (never to be
: analyzed again).

I tend to agree with this but I always feall that there is a fine line here
between a Ada unit that runs on for 10 pages and the use of separates.  In
general size "rules" should be size "guidelines" and we should not let
people get too religious about this.

Kent Mitchell
Rational        "my views are my own