Re: First time Ada has let me down

[Joel Seidman <joel_seidman@NOSPAMappsig.com>]

wv12@my-deja.com wrote:

[snip]

> the length is just len = (*p)&0xf;
> the TCP header length occupies the 4 MSB. the length in this case
> is then  ((*p)&0xf0)>>4;
> Things just have to be easy in C, don't they. No wonder 99.99% of the
> IP stacks in the world are in C and not Ada.

Depends on what "things" you are talking about. If it's programming
complex systems, C does not make it easy. Even if the final debugged C
code is "shorter" (your idea of "easy"?), what I care about is how long
it took to debug it.
 
You can do the equivalent of the above in Ada, too. Promoting the idea
that the above is good style is the reason programs are so fragile.
(Hint: Consider how much code in a large program you have to change, and
how long it takes to find it all, if the 4-bit field is moved from the
right to the left, or somewhere in between.) If C doesn't provide a
better way to do it (I'm not certain but I don't think so), then give me
Ada.