Re: Compiler Bug or what I'm doing wrong?

["Alex R. Mosteo" <devnull@mailinator.com>]

M E Leypold wrote:

> "Alex R. Mosteo" <devnull@mailinator.com> writes:
> 
>> I'm now, for example, facing a spurious exception case when switching
>> from GNAT GPL'05 to GPL'06, only when certain compiler switches are used.
>> I have
> 
> Have you tried to run that with a debugger? In my case I had
> exceptions first and only when running that with the debugger, I found
> that it was a SIGSEGV which got translated into a PROGRAM_ERROR by the
> signal handler and the run time since this happened in a finalizer.

I rarely use the debugger, I've got really used not to depend on it, though
certainly it's another tool not to be despised.

>> already found a workaround, and I even know that the problem is related
>> with interfaces, but I fear that the effort to isolate it will be a waste
>> of time. So the temptation to move on is big...
> 
> In my case: I think I have found a workaround (if my guess on the
> nature of the error is correct) and I'll post it here as a reference
> for the next users if it actually works.
> 
> In my opinion, documentation of "known bugs" and "proved workarounds"
> are almost as valuable as fixes. At least they'll spare other users
> the time (a) to form suspicions themselves and (b) to think about
> workarounds themselves.

Completely agree. When one has suffered from obscure bugs, it's inevitable
not to think that way. One would desire that they were listed in the
compiler documentation.

> It's a pity that GNAT (at least 3.15p? I'm repeating myself ...),
> doesn't have some kind of community support side where things as these
> could be collected. Or is there such a site?

Well, as pointed there's the debian tracker. Though it's no use if you don't
know about it, and even then I wonder how much it can help for other
platforms like windows.

My worst experience was when I got hit by the "sleeping tasks" bug which
only affected windows 3.15p version. After many hours of hunting with the
help of the Gnat list users (it existed by then), it turned out that it was
a real bug (I doubted it for some time) and that several people here knew
about it (but none in the gnat list!). I had been hesitant to ask in c.l.a.
for a gnat-specific question. After the experience I wouldn't be so timid.

Certainly, the http://gnuada.sf.net site seems a good place to centralize
reports (apart, of course, of reporting them to debian for the linux
branches). I guess I'll start to send there too my reports.

> For now I'm "misusing" c.l.a. for that but I wonder wether that was
> right.

It's right in my oppinion to discuss it here, maybe others disagree.
Although, for history, I'd prefer if everyone used the site mentioned
above, for example.

>> This post is really just to show my "condolences" and support. Best luck,
> 
> Hey, thanks :-)). And good luck with your problem too.

Thanks, it's already solved.