Re: Is the Writing on the Wall for Ada?

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

It would be nice to have unbounded string versions of all the 
subprograms that use strings. Open, Create, etc., all could be 
duplicated with an Unbounded_String parameter. Don't forget the 
sub-packages like Integer_IO, et alia. They have string parameters as 
well and I'd like to be able to use Unbounded_String everywhere.

Should there be Unbounded_String versions of anything else besides 
Text_IO? The other IO packages could utilize Unbounded_String for 
filenames, etc. Offhand, I can't think of where else type String occurs 
where I'd like to use Unbounded_String. Attributes that return a String 
so I don't have to encase them in a call to To_Unbounded_String () to 
get them in some location where I can use them? I'd personally like to 
program totally in Unbounded_String up until the point where I might 
need efficiency or determinism. Don't throw out String - just make it 
possible to ignore it.

A child package vs a separate package? I could see reasons for going 
both ways. We have Wide_Text_IO as a separate package, so there's a case 
for Unbounded_Text_IO (and Unbounded_Wide_Text_IO). However 
Ada.Text_IO.Unbounded would mean you're just adding the new things 
rather than duplicating everything, so there's a case for that as well. 
Toss a coin. I don't think there is any huge sufferings to be caused by 
going either way (as you observe, it doesn't mean making compiler 
changes - just writing a new package) and whichever way it goes, the 
user will have something new to "with" and "use", so it doesn't really 
make much difference to the end user.

MDC


Robert I. Eachus wrote:
> 
> As for a Get_Line function returning an Unbounded_String, the only real 
> question is where it should be defined.  I'd be happy with a child of 
> Ada.Text_IO that supported several operations on Unbounded_Strings 
> including Get, Get_Line, and Put.


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Marin David Condic
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