RE: Extensible Enummerated types FW: When will next Ada revision be? (83, 95, ?)

[Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-deja.com>]

In article <mailman.981098883.32366.comp.lang.ada@ada.eu.org>,
  comp.lang.ada@ada.eu.org wrote:
> From: Bob Leif
> To: Jeff Carter et al.

<<Bob's suggestions on how the ARG should proceed snipped>>

Bob, it seems like you are writing this without first finding
out what is going on right now, which might be a good idea,
since this procedure has been discussed and agreed on, and
is being actively used now, and is unlikely to change without
some very good arguments.

The current procedure is the following. For language extensions
an "amendment" class AI is prepared, this is processed by the
ARG into a fully formed, fully worked out, language extension
proposal which is then approved by the ARG, and subsequently
by WG-9.

Vendors are then free to implement these extensions. It is
typically likely that at least one vendor will do so, since
if it is the case that no vendors see any value in implementing
a feature (considering their customer needs), the proposal
is unlikely to fly in the first place.

The idea is that eventually any revision of Ada might include
some or all of these extensions in either their unmodfied form,
or perhaps a modified form (like the rest of the language at
that stage, they would be subject to revision).

In terms of the existing features in the language, as you know
a corrigendum has already been approved that would of course
be the starting point for a new standard.

In the case of this particular proposal (on which I have not
commented simply because I have seen no good argument for its
utility (it would be nice to see a convincing example of an
application that would benefit from this proposal, rather than
simply language proposals), the proper approach is to convince
at least one member of the ARG to prepare an AI, or
alternatively prepare a complete AI, and submit it for
consideration.


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