From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,af5bf4e3cf0c28b8 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-06-04 12:15:24 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.icl.net!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!skynet.be!isdnet!psinet-france!psiuk-f4!psiuk-p4!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Cannot use NULL as identifier? Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 14:51:21 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: <9fglbb$a06$1@nh.pace.co.uk> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: 136.170.200.133 X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 991680683 10246 136.170.200.133 (4 Jun 2001 18:51:23 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 4 Jun 2001 18:51:23 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:8083 Date: 2001-06-04T18:51:23+00:00 List-Id: I'm with you WRT the desirability of paper in many circumstances. Books made of paper are a lot easier to read out at the beach with a homebrew in close grasp. Large printed documents are sometimes easier to leaf through rapidly, dog-ear, post-it, gloss, etc., than their electronic counterparts. They will probably always have advantages - not the least of which is they make good compost when the subject at hand is no longer important. That said, I'd still rather see a few generally available Ada texts (beginning..advanced) in PDF or HTML (with .ZIP versions for download) stuck out on web pages with little or no restriction in use, than to have expensive, hard to get, out-of-print paper versions as the only source for material. Better for everyone if material a publisher doesn't want anymore ends up on a web page where students & the general public can get at it and - if desired - slaughter a few trees to print it out. PDF is better than no books at all - and it has its advantages as well. MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ wrote in message news:uXPS6.61856$%i7.47594830@news1.rdc1.sfba.home.com... > > I know I _much_ prefer online documentation to paper books! > Arghhh! Let me cast a STRONG vote for bound paper. Easy on the > eyes, highly portable, easily loaned for a day or a week, simple > to spot on the bookshelves even when all you remember is > "thick with a black spine", usually half the paper of a computer > printout, and generally cheap/page.