comp.lang.ada
 help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: Richard D Riehle <LaoXhai@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Wanted: Ada STL.  Reward: Ada's Future
Date: 1999/02/05
Date: 1999-02-05T13:30:46-06:00	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <79fgt6$1ed@dfw-ixnews9.ix.netcom.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 36BB3910.B460D8B@averstar.com

In article <36BB3910.B460D8B@averstar.com>,
	Tucker Taft <stt@averstar.com> wrote:

>In my view, the C++ STL is (appropriately) following along in the
>general C/C++ philosophy emphasizing writability over readability.

 It has been said that C is a universal assembler.  Sometimes I
 think C++ is a class-based universal assembler.  STL is a collection
 of macros a class-based universal assembler.  This is not evil. It
 is often a useful view since such a perspective serves as a warning
 to the developer about the risks associated with using C++ for 
 creating reliable software.  Once a programmer accepts the reality
 of those risks, she/he can successfully create high quality software.

 Many of those risks are absent in Ada.  However, Ada has risks that
 are addressed better in C++.  For example, access parameters in 
 Ada 95 functions permit modification of the content of a record
 (struct).  A C++ function can be defined with a const for the 
 function or the parameter to ensure that the function is a "query
 only" function.  For Ada programmers, the syntax is equivalent to

     constant function F1 (A : access T) return Y;

 which guarantees that no updating capability is possible in this 
 function (like a protected function), or

     function F2 (A : access constant T) return Y;

 which guarantees that no update of any part of A is permitted.

 There are features of C++ which some might say are "better" than Ada. 
 The point is that comparing languages at this level is unprofitable. I
 prefer Ada for any software that is important, but I can see a lot of 
 ideas in C++ and Eiffel that are attractive language features.  

 Richard Riehle
 richard@adaworks.com
 http://www.adaworks.com
 




  reply	other threads:[~1999-02-05  0:00 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 102+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
1999-01-31  0:00 Wanted: Ada STL. Reward: Ada's Future Alexy V Khrabrov
1999-01-31  0:00 ` Simon Wright
1999-02-01  0:00 ` Jerry van Dijk
1999-02-01  0:00   ` Marin David Condic
1999-02-01  0:00 ` dennison
1999-02-01  0:00 ` Stanley R. Allen
1999-02-01  0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1999-02-01  0:00   ` Alexy V Khrabrov
1999-02-01  0:00     ` Matthew Heaney
1999-02-01  0:00       ` Jeff Carter
1999-02-01  0:00 ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-01  0:00   ` Ehud Lamm
1999-02-02  0:00     ` Richard D Riehle
1999-02-03  0:00       ` robert_dewar
1999-02-02  0:00     ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-02  0:00       ` robert_dewar
1999-02-04  0:00         ` Ehud Lamm
1999-02-03  0:00       ` John English
1999-02-03  0:00         ` Matthew Heaney
1999-02-03  0:00           ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-04  0:00             ` Stephen Leake
1999-02-04  0:00               ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-05  0:00                 ` Stephen Leake
1999-02-05  0:00                   ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-04  0:00               ` Matthew Heaney
1999-02-04  0:00               ` Hyman Rosen
1999-02-05  0:00                 ` Stephen Leake
1999-02-05  0:00                   ` Hyman Rosen
1999-02-05  0:00               ` John English
1999-02-05  0:00                 ` Tucker Taft
1999-02-05  0:00                   ` Richard D Riehle [this message]
1999-02-05  0:00                   ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-05  0:00                 ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-06  0:00                   ` Matthew Heaney
1999-02-05  0:00           ` John English
1999-02-05  0:00           ` Nick Roberts
1999-02-04  0:00         ` Ehud Lamm
1999-02-04  0:00           ` Pat Rogers
1999-02-04  0:00             ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-02-04  0:00               ` Pat Rogers
1999-02-04  0:00                 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-02-05  0:00                   ` robert_dewar
1999-02-05  0:00                     ` Tom Moran
1999-02-05  0:00                       ` dewar
1999-02-05  0:00                         ` Tom Moran
1999-02-05  0:00                           ` dewar
1999-02-05  0:00                             ` dennison
1999-02-06  0:00                               ` dewar
1999-02-08  0:00                                 ` dennison
1999-02-08  0:00                                   ` robert_dewar
1999-02-08  0:00                                     ` dennison
1999-02-09  0:00                                       ` robert_dewar
1999-02-09  0:00                                         ` dennison
1999-02-09  0:00                                     ` Nick Roberts
1999-02-07  0:00                               ` Simon Wright
1999-02-08  0:00                               ` Corey Minyard
1999-02-08  0:00                                 ` Open Source Licensing (was: Wanted: Ada STL. Reward: Ada's Future) dennison
1999-02-08  0:00                                   ` Corey Minyard
1999-02-09  0:00                                     ` dennison
1999-02-09  0:00                                       ` Corey Minyard
1999-02-09  0:00                                     ` robert_dewar
1999-02-09  0:00                                       ` Corey Minyard
1999-02-09  0:00                                 ` Wanted: Ada STL. Reward: Ada's Future robert_dewar
1999-02-09  0:00                                   ` dennison
1999-02-10  0:00                                     ` robert_dewar
1999-02-07  0:00                           ` Simon Wright
1999-02-05  0:00                     ` Larry Kilgallen
     [not found]                     ` <36ba730b.35540068@ <79fmg1$fn0$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
1999-02-06  0:00                       ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-02-05  0:00                 ` robert_dewar
1999-02-05  0:00               ` robert_dewar
1999-02-05  0:00                 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-02-05  0:00                   ` robert_dewar
     [not found]                     ` <79f24e$t14 <36BB4162.52FC6D9F@averstar.com>
1999-02-05  0:00                       ` dennison
1999-02-05  0:00                       ` robert_dewar
1999-02-05  0:00                     ` Tucker Taft
1999-02-05  0:00                     ` dennison
1999-02-05  0:00                       ` robert_dewar
1999-02-05  0:00                         ` dennison
1999-02-06  0:00                       ` Nick Roberts
1999-02-04  0:00           ` Al Christians
1999-02-04  0:00           ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-05  0:00             ` Matthew Heaney
1999-02-05  0:00               ` Brian Rogoff
1999-02-08  0:00                 ` John English
1999-02-05  0:00           ` John English
1999-02-09  0:00             ` micro_ada
1999-02-05  0:00         ` Nick Roberts
1999-02-08  0:00           ` John English
1999-02-02  0:00     ` Pointer Arithmetic (was: Wanted: Ada STL....) adam
1999-02-02  0:00       ` William Clodius
1999-02-03  0:00         ` adam
1999-02-03  0:00           ` robert_dewar
1999-02-03  0:00             ` Jean-Pierre Rosen
1999-02-03  0:00           ` Nick Roberts
1999-02-03  0:00           ` William Clodius
1999-02-03  0:00       ` robert_dewar
1999-02-03  0:00       ` Nick Roberts
1999-02-03  0:00         ` robert_dewar
1999-02-03  0:00           ` Robert A Duff
1999-02-01  0:00 ` Wanted: Ada STL. Reward: Ada's Future Jeff Carter
1999-02-08  0:00   ` Michael F Brenner
1999-02-05  0:00 ` Corey Minyard
replies disabled

This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox