Re: Implicit garbage collection in Ada systems

[eachus@linus.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)]

     A very hard question to answer for two reasons.  First, no one
would want an Ada compiler which used garbage collection for
everything, and most compilers do some garbage collection (but leave
compaction to the operating system).  Let's try to qualifiy your
question as follows: Does any Ada compiler provide a data type (or
class of data types) for which accessability is tracked and automatic
garbage collection and compaction are provided?  Oops! Task types in
many compilers fit this category.

     The second reason is that there are Ada compilers for several
systems where garbage collection is normally a function of the
operating system: Symbolics, Rational, Intel 432 (High Integrity
Systems), etc.  Also some embedded compilers provide for user
implemented run-times which could transparently provide garbage
collection.

     My guess is that the Symbolics implementation is probably a
sufficient counterexample to encourage you to use the milder sentence.
(Even though it can be argued both ways.  Please! No flames, I'm just
trying to say that question is not subject to a yes or no answer.)


--

					Robert I. Eachus

with STANDARD_DISCLAIMER;
use  STANDARD_DISCLAIMER;
function MESSAGE (TEXT: in CLEVER_IDEAS) return BETTER_IDEAS is...