Re: Clueless :)

[Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org>]

Karel Miklav wrote:
> And one more question about the concept supported by keywords bounded, 
> unbounded, dynamic, fixed-length etc. Like first I must admit I don't 
> get it; why is there a need for this in Ada, when in tens of other 
> languages I've seen there is not? And why there are bounded, unbounded 
> and dynamic versions of Booch components but no polymorphic? Are people 
> really making collections of 30 (the number is not important but the 
> last time I made a fixed structure it was on C64 long time ago) elements 
> like Simon Wright in his Case study?

Lots of Ada programs are in safety critical embedded real-time systems, 
like flying commercial airliners, controlling passenger trains, and the 
like. It's often unacceptable in such systems to use dynamic allocation 
("unbounded" structures) so bounded structures are used, with a maximum 
size based on worse case analysis. So, yes, there really are people 
creating fixed maximum size structures even today.

Other languages may have more limited application areas, or may be used 
by less knowledgeable people, and so may only provide unbounded structures.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"Don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love."
Annie Hall