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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,56250291936154a0 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Richard D Riehle Subject: Re: Where is the elusive jump command? Date: 2000/03/29 Message-ID: <8brn4k$p6i$1@slb0.atl.mindspring.net>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 603667875 References: <38D771CA.D41AF9B5@port.ac.uk> <8bq7ku$mc8$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <38E0E723.C39C392@quadruscorp.com> <8brfm4$4uc$1@nnrp1.deja.com> Organization: MindSpring Enterprises X-Server-Date: 29 Mar 2000 01:43:48 GMT Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 2000-03-29T01:43:48+00:00 List-Id: In article <8brfm4$4uc$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, Robert Dewar wrote: >As for pointers, I would NEVER tell people about *aliased* until >they understood the language well. A little problem with this. We do need to get students to a point where they do understand how to use access types, including general access types. However, I do believe introducing things such as _aliased_ needs to be done in some understandable context. I usually say that certain reserved words, such as the _is_ before a set of declarations, the _aliased_ and certain other seemingly extra words are in keeping with Ada's underlying goal: a language for which a compiler can be developed that will maximize the amount of error checking as early in the software development process as possible. To write such a compiler, it is necessary to include certain reserved words and syntactic constructs that "tip off" the compiler to possible problems. The word _aliased_ seems to me to be one of those "tip-off the compiler" words. This can later be augmented with a more technical explanation, but it works well for most early students when explained within the framework of the above stated goals. Richard Riehle