Re: Garbage collection - was Re: Building a compiler

[Samuel Mize <smize@imagin.net>]

news.oxy.com <Vladimir_Olensky@oxy.com> wrote:

> robert_dewar@my-dejanews.com wrote in message
...
>>>In article <79c2ch$j1c$1@remarQ.com>,
>>>  "news.oxy.com" <Vladimir_Olensky@oxy.com> wrote:
>>> No doubt, a lot of people using GNAT would be very happy
>>> as it would save them a lot of time for doing their own
>>> programming instead of inventing their own garbage
>>> collection methods.
>>
>>So, Vladimir, put all the effort you put into writing
>>posts to CLA into learning how to do this, and get busy.
>>That's the *real* way to help Ada :-)
...
> It is interesting to know whether your post represents ACT official position
> (as an Ada  software company) to the current and potential/future needs of
> Ada users or this is something else ?
...
[describes Dewar's answer as]
>" go off,
> do it yourself and do not bother us any more ".

Mr. Dewar's writing style is often misunderstood.  He comes across
to some people as being much more sarcastic than he intends to.
I don't think he meant to drive you off.

But he is a little curt on this subject, probably because it's been
discussed here many, many times.  People are always happy to tell ACT
what unfunded project they should do next.  ACT has to focus on the
things that people are willing and able to pay for.

I would say, based on previous c.l.a discussions of garbage collection,
that he meant to say:

- don't go off, come in to the community of GNAT developers (which
  is MUCH larger than ACT).

- don't do it yourself, do it in the company of the other people who
  complain about GNAT not having garbage collection.  Start a project.

- Share it with us and tell us all about it.

> As far as garbage collection concerned   Mr. Devar probably did not read my
> other message posted yearlier than mentioned at the top that I've already
> did it for myself (as a small experiment).

Looks like that message has scrolled off my newsreader.  What kind of
garbage collection did you implement?  Is it integrated with the GNAT
compiler?  Did you post all the details?  Is your code available for
others to use?  Did you submit it to whoever maintains GNAT code?

ACT is hardly the entire Ada community.  You don't need Mr. Dewar's
permission to upgrade the GNAT compiler.

By the way, Mr. Dewar is posting for himself, not as ACT -- I assume
that's one reason he's posting via Deja News.  As such, he's posting
for his own reasons.  I agree, he may not have read your prior post,
and he has no duty to do so.

I'll dig in Deja News and see what you posted earlier.  If you did
implement a garbage collection scheme that would enhance GNAT, there
are a number of people here who would like to share it.

Best,
Sam Mize

-- 
Samuel Mize -- smize@imagin.net (home email) -- Team Ada
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