Re: Where is the elusive jump command?

["Samuel T. Harris" <samuel_t_harris@Raytheon.com>]

Dan Nagle wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> 
> On 3/30/00, 1:03:19 PM, "Marin D. Condic"
> <mcondic-nospam@quadruscorp.com> wrote regarding Re: Where is the
> elusive jump command?:
> 
> 
> Does Ada have any loop, branch or assignment statements, which, by
> definition,
> may be executed in parallel?  My reading and exercises haven't shown
> them to me yet.  Maybe I just haven't gotten to the right chapter...

Parallelization of language constructs is a function of the compiler.
If a compiler is written for a high end parallel machine, then I
expect it to produce parallel code for the basic stuff. Such a question
might become a compiler requirement in the selection process.

In any event, Ada provides parallel constructs both in the forms
of tasks as well as the distributed systems annex. Both are powerful
forms with standardized semantics upon which you can rely.
I can produce parallel algorithms using tasks. If my compiler does
not parallelize record assignments, then I can use tasks to
parallelize the operation (at least logically). Of course, the
degree to which a compiler takes advantage of multiple processors
is also an implementation dependent issue, but you are more likely
to score positive results across vendors on this question
than with basic operations such as assignment.

Since Ada already incorporates parallel constructs in the form
of tasks and partitions, perhaps a later generation Ada will
include keywords or pragmas which enable parallel operations
on more basic syntactic structures like assignment.


-- 
Samuel T. Harris, Principal Engineer
Raytheon, Aerospace Engineering Services
"If you can make it, We can fake it!"