From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,25aa3c7e1b59f7b5 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-01-11 01:47:13 PST Message-ID: <3C3EB43E.B82E92CA@baesystems.com> Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 09:45:34 +0000 From: Stuart Palin Organization: BAE SYSTEMS Avionics, Rochester X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (WinNT; I) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: A case where Ada defaults to unsafe? References: <3C34BF2C.6030500@mail.com> <3C34D252.4070307@mail.com> <5ee5b646.0201040829.18db8001@posting.google.com> <3C35E733.6030603@mail.com> <3C35FE2A.9020802@mail.com> <3C3C1438.FBF10FC3@baesystems.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit NNTP-Posting-Host: rc2966.rochstr.gmav.gecm.com X-Trace: 11 Jan 2002 09:45:34 GMT, rc2966.rochstr.gmav.gecm.com Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!btnet-peer1!btnet-feed5!btnet!newreader.ukcore.bt.net!pull.gecm.com!rc2966.rochstr.gmav.gecm.com Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:18765 Date: 2002-01-11T09:45:34+00:00 List-Id: Robert A Duff wrote: > > Stuart Palin writes: > > While thorough forms of testing should readily detect the 'missing' > > reference to E, it just seems silly to introduce the risk of a simple > > typo involving a commonly used mathematical symbol; especially when > > there seem to be plenty of (otherwise) unused symbols available. > > Which symbol(s) would you choose? Looking at my keyboard (and without studying whether it might have been available on some 1960's keyboard) ... Something like '{' (I would also make a syntax error not to have the closing '}' at the end of the line). Some potential candidates are ruled out by the Allowable Replacement Characters (LRM[83] 2.10 - what happened to that section in LRM[95]?). Something like '%' would have been nice, or even '!'; perhaps even used in a double character token. Other possibilities could be '~' (tilde), '@'. Even using a '##' [OK for SPARK '###' might not be pretty ;-)] might have been better since misuse in a based literal would (seem to) be more readily detectable. Of course the allowable replacement character (':') then creates a load of other possibilities (particularly with assignment). But again my 'first cut' thoughts are that mistakes with these would be more readily detectable by the compiler and (given that most people probably don't use the replacement characters) have less potential for messing up in the first place (= less risk of a silent error). Anyhow it is all water under the bridge, the die is cast - but it still peeves me! Regards -- Stuart Palin Principal Software Engineer BAE SYSTEMS Avionics Ltd, Rochester G-NET 791 3364 mailto:stuart.palin@baesystems.com