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From: "Samuel T. Harris" <sam_harris@hso.link.com>
Subject: Re: Printing Enum Variable Re: Linux World
Date: 1999/03/03
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Date: 1999-03-03T00:00:00+00:00
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David Starner wrote:
> 
> fraser@synopsys.ha.com wrote:
> >
> > I nearly cried when dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org said:
> >
> > [ printing enumerations in C example deleted ...]
> >
> > The point being, of course, that in Ada I write:
> >
> >    Bob'Image (X)
> >
> > which still works even if I add an apricot.  Which solution do you prefer?

When I don't like the case of 'image, I use enumeration_io which
provides control over case. When I don't like the other stuff,
then I use a constant array indexed by the enumeration type
with component type of access to string. Who needs a case or switch
statement?
Oh, and the compiler complains when I add an apricot but forget
to add the additional component to my constant array initialization
aggregate. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about those nasty Ada reserved
words colliding with my intended vocabulary. In that case, I
instantiate my own word_io package which deals with the arbitrary
prefixes I had to use for x_all (the most common collision in
my experience). It not only duplicates the functionality of
enumeration_io, but also provides the width, image, and value
functions which correspond to the attributes so my resulting
code looks reasonably similar to what I wanted in the first place.

> 
> Mine. For my example printed out "Red apple" as opposed to "RED_APPLE",
> and could be quickly internationalized. The only way to internationalize
> Bob'Image (X) is to rip it out and replace all examples with something
> like the code you cut. I don't think direct outputing of enumerations is
> right except as a quick and dirty hack - the name mangling require by C
> or Ada (no spaces, no hypens, etc.) combined with the i18n problems make
> it inappropriate.

> 
> I never meant this as an attack on Ada. It just that complaining about C
> for lack of enumeration strings is as appropriate as complaining about
> Ada for lack of a "?:" operator. It's not that big a deal.
> --
> David Starner - OSU student - dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org
> If you want a real optimist, look up Ray Bradbury. Guy's nuts.
> He actually likes people. -David Brin

-- 
Samuel T. Harris, Principal Engineer
Raytheon, Scientific and Technical Systems
"If you can make it, We can fake it!"