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From: dennison@telepath.com
Subject: Re: Printing Enum Variable Re: Linux World
Date: 1999/03/04
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Date: 1999-03-04T00:00:00+00:00
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In article <36DDA761.7B4E8099@aasaa.ofe.org>,
  David Starner <dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org> wrote:
> fraser@synopsys.ha.com wrote:
> >
> > I nearly cried when dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org said:
> >
> > [ printing enumerations in C example deleted ...]
> >
> > The point being, of course, that in Ada I write:
> >
> >    Bob'Image (X)
> >
> > which still works even if I add an apricot.  Which solution do you prefer?
>
> Mine. For my example printed out "Red apple" as opposed to "RED_APPLE",
> and could be quickly internationalized. The only way to internationalize
> Bob'Image (X) is to rip it out and replace all examples with something
> like the code you cut. I don't think direct outputing of enumerations is
> right except as a quick and dirty hack - the name mangling require by C
> or Ada (no spaces, no hypens, etc.) combined with the i18n problems make
> it inappropriate.

Actually, I use 'Image and 'Value a *lot*. Perhaps it isn't the best feature
in the world for production user interfaces, but it has saved me *months* of
time over my career in generating test drivers. It is also quite helpful for
configuration files, where users aren't as finiky about the interface.

I don't think the argument that it is of no value hold any water at all. In
the above applications a C developer would probably end up using integers due
to the pain of having to type out 40 or so strings, and calling the i/o
routine then strncmp and interpreting the results, etc. My enumeration value
interface is much clearer, and thus less error prone. In an application like
a config file, that's a big win.

And of course if I need your "any string and internationalization"
functionality, I can do just what C coders are forced to do for everything.
:-)

T.E.D.

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