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From: Marin David Condic <mcondic.nospam@acm.org>
Subject: Re: Three simple questions
Date: 2000/10/11
Message-ID: <39E47BAC.8DB1AD0B@acm.org>#1/1
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To: Frank Christiny <fchris@pdq.net>
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Date: 2000-10-11T14:39:29+00:00
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Frank Christiny wrote:

> 2.  What is the rationale for case-insensitivity in the language?
>     I am beginning to think it is mostly for historical reasons
>     (some machines didn't have two case letters way back then, etc.).
>     Are there any real technical reasons for why this is so even
>     after Ada95, besides preserving backwards compatibilty?

Ada is not case-sensitive because case-sensitivity is a bad idea. In
normal English usage, there is no significant difference between "Marin"
or "MARIN" or mArIn". Readers would interpret that to mean a reference to
me. Identifiers in a program are likely to be similarly interpreted on
cursory inspection, so it would be a bad idea to have "x" mean an entirely
different variable than "X". Too much opportunity for subtle bugs.

Case sensitivity in a language or OS is an abomination and those
responsible should be kept from getting into the gene pool through some
sort of sterilization program. But that's just my guarded, reserved,
polite opinion. Sometime ask me how I *really* feel. :-)

>
> 3.  How can one block-comment in Ada?
>     It can become cumbersome sometimes, adding all those "--"s in
>     front of a large block of code one wants to "test out" on the fly.
>     Again, are there any good technical-engineering reasons why this
>     feature was left out?

There are no "Open/Close" comment delimiters. Some of the Ada sensitive
editors will let you highlight a block of text and comment/uncomment it in
one swell foop. Weakness or Strength? You be the judge.

MDC
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