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From: "John G. Volan" <johnv@ac3i.dseg.ti.com>
Subject: Re: Ada Enumerations
Date: 1997/12/11
Message-ID: <349031BE.A96740F6@ac3i.dseg.ti.com>#1/1
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References: <662cs9$b34$1@newman.pcisys.net>
 <663j9f$e1l@mtinsc02.worldnet.att.net> <dewar.881162762@merv>
 <3485D2AE.3F54@hso.link.com> <mheaney-ya023680000412970252290001@news.ni.net>
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Reply-To: johnv@ac3i.dseg.ti.com
Organization: Raytheon TI Systems
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-12-11T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


Matthew Heaney wrote:
> Furthermore, I don't understand why you even bothered reading into an
> integer.

Because programmers have been brainwashed into believing that computer
memory is somehow composed of "integers," thus if you want to get "close
to the metal", you have to work with these "integers."  But we all know
that computer memory really consists of various addressable aggregations
of microminiaturized binary-state devices.  "Integers" are just one of
many data-type abstractions that we have superimposed upon the reality
of bit-patterns. Certain operations embedded in CPU hardware happen to
provide some direct support for the "integer" abstraction, and all
programming languages heavily support this abstraction as well, so 
integers just happen to be convenient as representations for
bit-patterns.  But for all of that, I don't see "integers" as being any
more "concrete" than anything other data type.

> Why not just read into an enumeration type directly?

Here, here!

-- 
Internet.Usenet.Put_Signature 
  (Name       => "John G. Volan",
   Employer   => "Raytheon/TI Advanced C3I Systems, San Jose, CA",
   Work_Email => "jvolan@ti.com",
   Home_Email => "johnvolan@sprintmail.com",
   Slogan     => "Ada95: World's *FIRST* International-Standard OOPL",
   Disclaimer => "My employer never defined these opinions, so using " & 
                 "them would be totally erroneous...or is that just "  &
                 "nondeterministic behavior now? :-) ");