From: Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-deja.com>
Subject: Re: Confusing language, was Re: Help help.. please.i am totaly new in ada programing
Date: 1999/11/12
Date: 1999-11-12T00:00:00+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <80habk$pq2$1@nnrp1.deja.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: wcc4ses3kmn.fsf@world.std.com
In article <wcc4ses3kmn.fsf@world.std.com>,
Robert A Duff <bobduff@world.std.com> wrote:
> I disagree. It is possible to define a binary representation
> that is still standard and portable.
Well that's pretty tricky, because of 1's complement vs
2's complement problems (a VERY VERY hot issue given the
Univac/Unisys presence here -- you may remember that this
fuss appeared even in the context of the Ada design years
later), and because of the endianness issues (complicated
by the Marc Williams patent).
The fact that no language has done this (certainly Ada did not
even attempt this) indicates that it is not trivial to do this
at all.
> For example, the standard stream data in Ada is
> nowhere near being portable!
>
> Right, and I think that's bad.
Well you certainly would not want to *mandate* that the stream
format be portable (you will run into all kinds of difficulties
if you do this, not least of which is serious inefficiencies
on some machines). As you know, GNAT provides the option of
using XDR for streams, which is useful in two contexts:
1. Allowing creation of distributed programs using Annex E
facilities that allow mixed platform communication.
2. Implementing passive partitions (which in GNAT provide
interprogram communication and persistence, as well as the
standard Annex E uses) in a manner that is platform independent.
For example, you can run a program on Solaris with a package
full of data, and then when you later run a program referencing
this same package on x86/Linux, you pick up the same data values
that existed at he time of termination of the Solaris program.
Both of which are really neat and useful features, but they come
at quite a price in efficiency.
P.S. I think it would be nice if other Ada 95 vendors would
provide the option of using XDR for streams as well, allowing
inter-compiler compatibility.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1999-11-12 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 128+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1999-10-29 0:00 Help help.. please.i am totaly new in ada programing vico
1999-10-29 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1999-10-29 0:00 ` David Botton
1999-10-29 0:00 ` Gautier
1999-10-29 0:00 ` Tucker Taft
1999-10-29 0:00 ` Jean-Pierre Rosen
1999-10-29 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1999-10-30 0:00 ` Dave Taylor
1999-10-30 0:00 ` gnat on macintosh James E. Hopper
1999-10-30 0:00 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-10-30 0:00 ` James E. Hopper
1999-10-31 0:00 ` Help help.. please.i am totaly new in ada programing Robert Dewar
1999-10-30 0:00 ` Siow Wey Hua
1999-10-29 0:00 ` David Starner
1999-10-31 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-10-29 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1999-10-31 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-10-31 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-01 0:00 ` Gautier
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Gautier
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-02 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-03 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Georg Bauhaus
1999-11-03 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-04 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Charles Hixson
1999-11-04 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-08 0:00 ` Georg Bauhaus
1999-11-08 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Georg Bauhaus
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Preben Randhol
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Confusing language, was " tmoran
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-04 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-11-04 0:00 ` David Starner
1999-11-04 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-04 0:00 ` David Starner
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Hyman Rosen
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Aidan Skinner
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Craig Spannring
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Stefan Skoglund
1999-11-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-11-10 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Stefan Skoglund
1999-11-06 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-11-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-08 0:00 ` Tarjei Jensen
1999-11-08 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-08 0:00 ` Marin Condic
1999-11-08 0:00 ` Ehud Lamm
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Ehud Lamm
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Marin Condic
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Richard D Riehle
1999-11-10 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-11-10 0:00 ` Richard D Riehle
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Marin Condic
1999-11-12 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-12 0:00 ` Marin Condic
1999-11-13 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-12 0:00 ` Marin Condic
1999-11-19 0:00 ` GNAT.Calendar (was: Re: Confusing language, was Re: Help help.. please.i am totaly new in ada programing) Mario Amado Alves
1999-11-19 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-12 0:00 ` Confusing language, was Re: Help help.. please.i am totaly new in ada programing Robert I. Eachus
1999-11-12 0:00 ` Marin Condic
1999-11-13 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-13 0:00 ` Nick Roberts
1999-11-15 0:00 ` Samuel T. Harris
1999-11-15 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-11-15 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-11-12 0:00 ` Robert Dewar [this message]
1999-11-10 0:00 ` Confusing language etc Nick Roberts
1999-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-08 0:00 ` Confusing language, was Re: Help help.. please.i am totaly new in ada programing Robert Dewar
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Tarjei Jensen
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Y2K liability, was " tmoran
1999-11-09 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Richard D Riehle
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Stefan Skoglund
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Georg Bauhaus
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Georg Bauhaus
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Stefan Skoglund
1999-11-04 0:00 ` Stanley R. Allen
1999-11-05 0:00 ` Stefan Skoglund
[not found] ` <01bf25cc$5d390fc0$022a6282@dieppe>
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Georg Bauhaus
1999-11-04 0:00 ` David Botton
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Gautier
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Aidan Skinner
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-11-02 0:00 ` Aidan Skinner
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-11-03 0:00 ` Free Software -- was, " Richard D Riehle
1999-11-01 0:00 ` Tucker Taft
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