Philosophical Question (End_Of_File)

[Wes Groleau <wwgrol@ftw.rsc.raytheon.com>]

We're taught to embed file input statements inside a control structure
with an End_Of_File test, right?

The idea is that instead of reading and then handling the exception, we
avoid the exception, right?

So why do some vendors implement End_Of_File something like this?

function End_Of_File (....) is
   begin
      Read_Without_Advancing;
      return False;
   exception
      when End_Of_File => return True;
   end End_Of_File;

I know of at least three that do this.  It can't be easier--somewhere
down in the lower level, the end of file had to be detected and the
exception raised.

Am I missing something?

-- 
Wes Groleau
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wgroleau