Validation on Embedded Systems

Validation on Embedded Systems

[leach]

The Ada validation capability exercises the full capabilities
of the language, including such things as file i/o.  On the
other hand, one of the purposes of the languages is the
programming of embedded systems.  Presumably there are
some of those that do not have file systems.  The question
arrises, then, as to what it means to validate Ada for
one such system.

Any experience with this problem out there?

-- 
Geoffrey Leach
Yet Another Software Company
(415)325-8717
{ucbvax,pyramid,oliveb,idsvax,bene,nsc}!tolerant!leach
Net access through the courtesy of Tolerant Systems

Re: Validation on Embedded Systems

[John B. Goodenough]

USE_ERROR can be raised when an attempt is made to create or open an
external file.  In particular, this exception can be raised when certain kinds
of file I/O are not supported at all by an implementation.  It can also be
argued that NAME_ERROR can be raised if no I/O operation is supported (see
14.4(1, 4, 5).  I believe that compilers for embedded targets have been
validated even though they raised NAME_ERROR or USE_ERROR when any attempt
was made to create or open a file.
-------

Re: Validation on Embedded Systems

[stt]

It is permissible to raise USE_ERROR on all operations
which require a file system.  All of the Chapter 14 ACVCs have
been designed to accomodate this behavior.