Re: Bit manipulation

[Sandro Binetti <sandrobinetti@my-deja.com>]

In article <8ubeq8$cgm$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,
  Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-deja.com> wrote:

> Nope! When someone asks how can I do "xxx" and xxx is a low
> level implementation technique, it is always appropriate to
> enquire as to what the problem is.
>
> A C programmer is used to shifting and masking as a solution
> for all sorts of problems. Now there are cases where such
> a solution is appropriate in Ada, which is why the capability
> was added in Ada 95, but compared to C, they are few and
> far between.

I'm an ADA programmer since 1989; I've written millions of lines of ADA
code, developped systems that, fortunately, runs without "unhandled
exceptions". I say SYSTEMS, not little PROGRAMS, with lines and lines
of generic instantiation, exception handlers, tasks that wait each
other in respect of strict time constraints, and so on.

But the real fact is not this.

My ADA code has, always, a little (very little) part made of "pragma
INTERFACES" to C language, in order to manage certain Unix or Linux
kernel capabilities (curses, for example).

So, once again, the question is the following:

IF I HAVE TO MANAGE A COMPLEX UNCOMMERCIAL DEVICE, SAY A SATELLITE BUS,
WHY DO I HAVE TO WRITE ALL THE CODE USING ADA (IMPOSED FOR THESE REAL-
TIME ORIENTED APPLICATIONS) AND, AT A CERTAIN MOMENT, USE LOW LEVEL
MANIPULATION IN C LANGUAGE?

If you can give me a simple answer...
--
Ciao, Sandro


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