Re: Restrictions on compilers for Microsoft's .NET project

[dewar@gnat.com (Robert Dewar)]

Jerry Petrey <"jdpetrey<NOSPAM>"@west.raytheon.com> wrote in message news:<3C681C25.6356CAF3@west.raytheon.com>...
.
> In regards to record representation, ARM 13.5.1-11 
> states:
> 
> At most one component_clause is allowed for each 
> component of the type, including for each discriminant 
> (component_clauses may be given for some, all,
> or none of the components). Storage places within a 
> component_list shall not overlap, UNLESS they are for 
> components in distinct variants of the same
> variant_part. 

This seems to me a tempest in a teapot (nice english phrase 
meaning Much Ado About Nothing (entertating Shakespeare
title, meaning a lot of fuss about a small point)).

The RM also says you don't have to do anything you can't
do. So if indeed .NET does not allow variants to overlap,
then Ada compilers in this environment won't allow overlapped
variants. This only affects the set of rep clauses that are accepted,
and it is to be expected that
in protected environments such as the JVM and .NET that there will be
restrictions on rep clauses.