Re: Why Ada is not the Commercial Lang of Choice

[kst@sd.aonix.com (Keith Thompson)]

In <33A7FBFF.29D2@mitre.org> "Robert I. Eachus" <eachus@mitre.org> writes:
[...]
>    Wait a second here.  The eqivalent Ada is:
> 
>    Mem_Map: Integer;
>    for Mem_Map'Address use 16#B0100040#;
>  begin
>    Mem_Map := 16#00344556#;
> 
>    ...which is a little shorter in terms of characters, words, and
> lines.  I could go into the bugs in both the Ada and the C--I'd want
> pragma Volitile(Mem_Map); in both Ada and C.  Most compilers will get it
> "right" but why take the risk.  Also, it might be necessary to call
> System.Storage_Elements.To_Address, but I can't imagine any compiler for
> a machine where 16#B01000040# is a meaningful address not allowing
> literals for addresses.

Imagine harder.  8-)}

The implementation advice in RM95-13.7(37) says: "Address should be of
a private type."

GNAT follows this advice (the full type is modular, but that doesn't
make literals available).  ObjectAda makes System.Address an access
type.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst@sd.aonix.com <http://www.aonix.com> <*>
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