Re: Just a question...

[brashear@ns1.sw-eng.falls-church.va.us (Philip Brashear)]

In article <4m47pf$stq@news-e2b.gnn.com>, Roga Danar <alphasoft@gnn.com> wrote:
>Hi,
>
> 1) Ada is strongly typed and 
> 2)ya just can't use pointers to just anywhere and change them on 
>the fly.
> 3) Code will have bigger executables
> 4) You can't use pointers to functions.
>
> Briefly that's it,
>
> 
>-- Michael G. Smith
>
>To err is human, to moo, bovine
>


Undoubtedly, others will respond to this, but just in case:
1) Yes, Ada is strongly typed (thank goodness!)
2) Actually, you probably can use pointers to just (about) anywhere and
   change them on the fly, but you have to be very explicit about it.
   That's the Ada philosophy: you can do all sorts of unsafe programming,
   but (unlike some other languages) you have to do it deliberately and
   openly.
3) On what basis do you say that the code will generate bigger executables?
   I've seen papers showing that (with proper optimization switches) Ada
   code can result in smaller executables that assembler written by
   experienced assembler programmers.
4) Of course you can use pointers to functions.  See the Ada 95 RM or
   any good text on Ada 95.

Phil Brashear