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From: dewar@gnat.com (Robert Dewar)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Ada Idioms Progress Preview
Date: 7 Aug 2001 19:19:11 -0700
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tmoran@acm.org wrote in message news:<SCIb7.37009$Kd7.22894159@news1.rdc1.sfba.home.com>...
> Perhaps Ada should not have idioms. 

I understand Tom's point here, and I would rephrase it as a requirement
that Ada idiom's be obvious once seen to someone who knows Ada. That's
true for example of Stanley's Boolean'Pos idiom (which is indeed a
useful one to know). 

So when you read one of these idioms, the reaction should be one of

a) ah, yes, I know that, and immediately know what it means

b) ah, interesting way of doing things, yes, I understand it and
will remember this in future.

It should not be:

c) Gadzooks! What on earth does that mean, let me reach for the LRM.
Ah, yes, finally figured it out -- to clever for me!