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From: defaria@hpclapd.HP.COM (Andy DeFaria)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: if UNIX then USE_C ?? (was: Reasons for drop)
Message-ID: <920018@hpclapd.HP.COM>
Date: 28 Feb 90 19:51:06 GMT
References: <5476@crdgw1.crd.ge.com>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Calif. Language Lab
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

>/ hpclapd:comp.lang.ada / epstein@trwacs.UUCP (Jeremy Epstein) / 10:55 am  Feb 27, 1990 /
>[I promised myself I wouldn't join this grudge match, but...]

>While that's certainly true, look at how Ada overloads symbols.  For
>example, parentheses are used for parameters as well as subscripts
>(that's something that totally confuses me as an old-time C programmer).

Why does C insist on differentiating between "=" meaning assignment and "="
meaning equality test.  People naturally write "A = B" and "if  A  = B...".
Based on the context the compiler should be able  to figure out whether the
"=" sign refers to assignment or equality test.   I know  that C allows you
to do the  assignment and  then check the value of  the assignment and that
this is often useful but it is IMO something that totally  confuses me as a
novice C programmer.

>And while we're on the subject of Ada "end", why is it that Ada sometimes
>uses "end" to match "begin", and other times to match other keywords?

I looks like you  need a little  look-ahead.  Ada matches  a  "end" with  a
"begin" but matches an "end if" with an "if" ("end  case" with "case", "end
loop" with "loop", etc).