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From: swdecato@nps.navy.mil
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: ADA Objects Help!
Date: 25 Jan 1995 01:26:22 GMT
Organization: OS2 Sig Leader
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Xref: nntp.gmd.de comp.lang.ada:18307 comp.lang.c++:88000
Date: 1995-01-25T01:26:22+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

I started this discussion on the comp.lang.ada news group and was pleasantly
surprised to see that it had migrated here...

I am a new Ada student, so correct me if I make any glaring mistakes.  Your
sample code attempts to mimic a C++ class using a package.  The problem with
the package implementation is that I can't instantiate instances of the object
at run time.  In Ada, a pointer to a package is created at compile time since
the declaration using the "new" operation occurs prior to the firt BEGIN.  From
a syntax standpoint, Ada packages are as close to C++ classes as you can get,
minus the dynamic allocation.

Many Ada folks have demonstrated how Ada objects are created and deleted.
My argument against the Ada style was that I felt that the C++ syntax more
accurately modelled the englist language.  I have no doubt that the same effect
can be achieved with either language.  I still say that the following code is
easier to understand when dealing with objects...

		MY_TYPE *objectPtr = new MY_TYPE;
                     objectPtr->run();
                     objectPtr->sleep();
		objectPtr->move();		
		objectPtr->Set(A,B);

		etc

In Ada the same program would be:

		Run(objectPtr);
		Sleep(objectPtr);
		Move(objectPtr);
		Set(objectPtr, A, B);

I don't see how passing "structs" to static functions differs from any other
function which takes a parameter.  In my mind, when I create a pointer to 
an object of some user defined class, that one pointer takes any public
data and functions associated with the class.