Re: Language Lawyer question

["David C. Hoos, Sr." <david.c.hoos.sr@ada95.com>]

Wes Groleau <wwgrol@ftw.rsc.raytheon.com> wrote in message
news:39380CEB.2CC4682E@ftw.rsc.raytheon.com...
> One of my coworkers just asked an interesting question:
>
>    Why do we have to write
>
>       Some_Type'Pred (Some_Value)
>
>    when
>
>       Some_Value'Pred
>
>    is more natural/intuitive and
>    carries just as much type info?
>
> I pointed out that there is no type info in a literal (like
> Orange'Pred) but he said that the type info would be somewhere
> else in the statement.  I could not quickly come up with a
> counter-example.  Plus, how often would we use a literal as
> parameter to 'Pred ?  Might as well just use the literal value
> of the Predecessor.
>
What is 0'Pred?

1.  Illegal if Natural
2.  -1 if Integer
3,  2 ** modulus - 1 if modular

Now if you meant Some_Object'Pred -- that's possible

But, how would you do the equivalent of Modular_Type'Pred (0)
with your syntax?