From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Status: No, score=1.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,FROM_WORDY, INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,184737148aef02ac X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: "Nick Roberts" Subject: Re: Fixed point multiplication ambiguity Date: 1999/01/29 Message-ID: <78sojm$crk$1@plug.news.pipex.net>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 438386350 References: <78r4qh$fcu$1@plug.news.pipex.net> X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Organization: UUNET WorldCom server (post doesn't reflect views of UUNET WorldCom) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1999-01-29T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: I am much chuffed by your time and effort in replying Tuck. Big big thanks. The wording I was missing out on was "For a complete context" (RM 8.6 [31], the 'context' being defined by RM 8.6 [4]). Now it all fits into place (and you can actually _see_ the steam coming off the top of my head ;-). What this means is that a compiler _deeply searches_ a complete context for a single, unambiguous, interpretation: in this case, the one with all Durations. I was simply assuming that Ada wouldn't be designed this way (I wouldn't have :-). Why? Because it means that the search space could, theoretically, end up getting rather big. But, of course, in practice, it's very unlikely to get _too_ big (especially considering the big search spaces modern compilers cover in the name of optimisation). It also means that sometimes an interpretation will be 'non-obvious' to someone reading the code. But that's the way it is. Maybe a change needed for Ada 200X? Okay, I'm a cheeky so-and-so (you may have noticed), so my next question is: do you recommend I try developing 'tree pruning' techniques to cut down the search space (searching for interpretations), or just search it all 'brute force'? Again, thanks. ------------------------------------------- Nick Roberts -------------------------------------------