Re: Programming X Windows...

[gvc@ocsystems.com (G. Vincent Castellano)]

% 
% I have never seen a thin Ada binding I liked, although I will admit
% to not having seen bindings from many sources.  The ones I have seen
% seem to be done "on the cheap" with no attempt to use derived numeric
% types to separate the "number of apples" cells from the "number of
% oranges" cells.
% 

First, with Ada 95's general access types, modular types
and access to subprograms, it is much easier to create thin
bindings whose typing corresponds reasonably closely to the
original interface.  Have you looked at any Ada 95 bindings?

Second, the determination of how and where to define derived
types is often impossible to determine from the 'original
text' of the interface you're binding to.  If the interface
was not originally designed with the subtype/derived type
issue in mind, it's pretty tough to graft one on as an 
afterthought.
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 -    G. Vincent Castellano, Sr. Software Engineer, OC Systems Inc     -
 -   gvc@ocsystems.com :: X/Ada WWW => http://www.ocsystems.com/xada   -
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 - "If virtual memory did not exist, it would                          -
 -   have become necessary for us to invent it."                       -
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