Re: How to get a »Conventional Ada Library« (Was: Ideas for Ada 200X)

[Marin David Condic <nobody@noplace.com>]

Another important thing to notice is that when you are discussing a 
library, complexity doesn't insert itself into the language itself. The 
language can remain as simple and efficient and unencumbered as you 
like. The library may be complex, bloated, inefficient, etc. and if you 
don't like it, you don't use it.

Not that I'm arguing for complex, bloated and inefficient software. Just 
observing that one can back off from a lot of the requirements one might 
have for a language feature when discussing a library - or a particular 
library feature. These days, linkers ought to be smart enough to only 
bring in the stuff that is actually called, so any given feature might 
get pretty huge and bloated without impacting anyone who doesn't need it.

Libraries are a good thing and IMHO, the bigger the better. The more 
leverage I can get out of a library to build my end product, the less 
building I have to do, so I would put up with a lot of sub-optimal 
characteristics (such as possible complexity or inefficiency) in order 
to save me from having to do it myself.

MDC


Warren W. Gay VE3WWG wrote:
> 
> 
> I think this is an excellent point that you make here. How many
> times have we heard that a such-n-such proposal/implementation is
> too large or complex, and then stop there. Yet, as you point out,
> others are already _using_ libraries far more (or equally) complex
> in their day to day work. Simplicity is certainly a good goal, but
> let's all realize that sometimes functionality dictates a more
> complicated world.
> 
> Equally important is the fact that "they" are using something, and
> often "we" are not. While the Booch Components often gets criticised
> for their complexity (in instantiation mostly I think), they are a
> very functional set of packages. They would be easier to use with
> the appropriate level of documentation, which hasn't happened yet
> (I had actually made it a goal to write such, but as you can see,
> haven't come through on that yet). But the point here is that they
> are fairly complete in functionality, but yet for one reason or
> another, not fully accepted by the community (or maybe they have,
> but the lurkers are not saying that ;-) ).
> 
>> MDC
> 
> 


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Marin David Condic
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