Text_IO for other standard types

["Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-96" <condicma@PWFL.COM>]

    So we have a standard type Integer and a corresponding package
    Ada.Integer_Text_IO. We have a standard type Float and a
    corresponding package Ada.Float_Text_IO. We have a standard type
    Boolean but no corresponding package Ada.Boolean_Text_IO? Or for
    that matter, the standard type Duration and no
    Ada.Duration_Text_IO.

    Oh sure, I can make my own declarations for these things and its
    pretty trivial. But it seems like it would be good to have all
    this stuff in one place - under the parent package Ada. (I don't
    believe it is legal for the end user to extend the package Ada.
    GNAT chokes on attempts to do so...) Would it be a bad idea to
    require a Ada.xxx_Text_IO package for any predefined elementary
    type xxx? I think it would make life easier and would simplify
    things for a student just starting out learning the language.

    And a related matter: Would it be difficult to implement an
    attribute 'Image for composite types? (At least arrays and records
    - pretty hard to figure out what this would mean for tasks and
    protected types.) The idea being if you want to implement some
    debug code or error handling code in which you want to output a
    message like: "Found a faulty input record: xxxxx" getting an
    ascii image for quick&dirty error checking would be pretty handy.
    Handy without dramatically altering the language or imposing undue
    burden on the compiler.

    And while we're at it, would there be some food value in requiring
    a few extra predefined types? I'm thinking of predefined Modular
    types similar to predefined Integer types and possibly some
    convenient Decimal Fixed Point types (most commonly used for
    money, I suppose).

    My reasoning for having these and their corresponding predefined
    I/O instantiations is that it would make the language easier to
    teach. Generics and even to some extent type declarations
    themselves can be inaccessible to the beginning programmer or a
    programmer familiar only with more primitive languages. Having
    predefined types for modular numbers would enable one to teach or
    discuss modular math & build simple programs to illustrate this
    without having to delve into the heavier concepts of type
    definition or generic instantiation.

    It doesn't sound to me like this would be a difficult extension to
    Ada and the only potential problem I would anticipate would be the
    possibility of collisions with existing name usage. Any thoughts
    on this subject? Good idea? Bad idea? Hmmmm?

    MDC

Marin David Condic, Senior Computer Engineer     Voice:     561.796.8997
Pratt & Whitney GESP, M/S 731-95, P.O.B. 109600  Fax:       561.796.4669
West Palm Beach, FL, 33410-9600                  Internet:  CONDICMA@PWFL.COM
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