Re: Dynamic Address Clauses??

[stt@ada-uts]

I have always presumed address clauses were directives to
the compiler or the linker, but certainly not to the run-time system.

The interpretation of the specified address is implementation-dependent,
including whether it is accepted.  The fact that
simple_expression is allowed rather than simply a literal
is simply to allow some freedom to the implementation, but
in no way requires that dynamic address clauses be supported.

As a compiler implementor one certainly has the freedom to
define address clauses as one sees fit, but if this discussion
is aimed at gaining a consensus as to the "normal" or "standard"
interpretation of address clauses, I would expect them to be
limited to expressions which can be evaluated at or before link-time.

For example, one might allow the sum of the address of one
unit and an offset for the address of a second unit.

To me it seems kind of pointless to try and figure out a meaning
for an address expression which will probably never be accepted by
an Ada compiler.

S. Tucker Taft
Intermetrics, Inc.
Cambridge, MA  02138