Re: newbie can't get exceptions to work!

[James Rogers <jimmaureenrogers@worldnet.att.net>]

Ayende Rahien wrote:
> 
> That is a syntax problem, there are number of IDEs out there that would mark
> what { the } belongs too. If you are using VC, there are macros to do this.
> They are quite convient.

This is a particularly C way of expressing convenience. A syntax
problem is convenient because tools are available to deal with it.

I find it much more convenient to avoid the problem altogether.

> I find the operators clear, you just had to memorize a dozen or so, and that
> is it.
> I think it's just a matter of personal dislike for C's syntax. Personally, I
> would love to work with C style Ada.

I find the C syntax for dealing with pointers to be excessively
convenient, as defined above.

A pointer to an int is defined as:

int *iptr;

At the same time, the value pointed to by iptr is referenced as
*iptr. This is clearly convenient. 

Now let's discuss pointers and structs:

struct mystruct 
{
  int foo;
  float bar;
}

struct mystruct myinstance;
struct mystruct *myptr;

Now, let's have myptr reference myinstance:

myptr = &myinstance;

How do we now access the "foo" field in the struct?

Through the myinstance variable we use simple "." notation:

myinstance.foo

Through myptr we have two choices for syntax:

(*myptr).foo

myptr->foo

This is clearly a very convenient syntax. It gets even more
convenient when mixing pointers and arrays in C:

int a[10];
int *pa;

pa = &a[0];
*pa = 50;
*(++pa) = 51;
*(pa++) += 90;

Let's see how convenient this is:

First we assigned 50 to a[0], then we assigned 51 to a[1],
then we added 90 to a[1] and incremented pa.

Finally, let's look at the ultimate C convenience: pointers to
functions.

float f();  /* f is a function returning float. */
float *f(); /* f is a function returning a pointer to a float.*/
float (*f)(); /* f is a pointer to a function returning float. */
float *(*f)(); /* f is a pointer to a function returning a pointer 
                  to a float. */
float (*(*f)())(); /* f is a pointer to a function returning a
                      pointer to a function returning float */

Now, I must say I have never found this kind of convenience in Ada.

Jim Rogers
Colorado Springs, Colorado USA