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From: eachus@spectre.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: An observation of Ada (may offend)
Date: 27 Mar 1995 19:58:32 GMT
Organization: The Mitre Corp., Bedford, MA.
Message-ID: <EACHUS.95Mar27145832@spectre.mitre.org>
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 <3kcflv$164a@watnews1.watson.ibm.com>
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In-reply-to: l107353@cliffy.lfwc.lockheed.com's message of 24 Mar 1995
 19:45:11 GMT
Date: 1995-03-27T19:58:32+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

In article <3kv7g7$o7d@butch.lmsc.lockheed.com> l107353@cliffy.lfwc.lockheed.com (Garlington KE) writes:

  > I would be more concerned with the issue of having to modify the
  > parent package every time I add a child. Usually, our coding
  > standards prohibit references of this type, since (a) it adds cost
  > and (b) the more items you have to change, the greater the
  > likelihood of inadvertantly inserting an error.

    As I said, what I like about this approach is that it allows you
to delay adding the pragmas until the appropriate point--sometime
between integration and FQT.  Before then, adding a child is a
detailed design decision, and the only major issue should be the need
to update the documentation.  After that point, you are in a
maintenance mode where the consequences of adding an "unanticipated"
child could be severe, and I certainly wouldn't permit it without a
through review.  Under most circumstances I can forsee, such an add-on
would walk like a kludge, and quack like a kludge.

    The major advantage of the pragma is to the maintainer.  Without
the pragma, a global search, or some documentation, he has no idea
what children are part of the unit he is maintaining.  This can save
days of maintenance time with little or no cost.


--

					Robert I. Eachus

with Standard_Disclaimer;
use  Standard_Disclaimer;
function Message (Text: in Clever_Ideas) return Better_Ideas is...