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=0.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID,
	REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: fac41,80e076d5ce42fefa
X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public
X-Google-Thread: 103376,9e2776c05028676e
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
From: donh@syd.csa.com.au (Don Harrison)
Subject: Re: Why Ada is not the Commercial Lang of Choice
Date: 1997/06/24
Message-ID: <EC975J.1tz@syd.csa.com.au>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 252137513
Sender: news@syd.csa.com.au
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: dev50
References: <dewar.867078578@merv>
Organization: CSC Australia, Sydney
Reply-To: donh@syd.csa.com.au
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.eiffel
Date: 1997-06-24T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


Robert Dewar wrote:

:Don said
:
:<<However, they differ in that digits must be grouped in threes. Grouping in
:threes is an arbitrary choice and, IMO, too restrictive. For example, it makes
:no sense for base 2 literals. OTOH, I think Ada's free placement is too liberal
:because it allows different groupings within the same literal.
:
:Something in between is probably optimal - like allowing any grouping but with
:the restriction that it must be consistent within a literal.
:>>
:
:I strongly disagree, it is none of the language's business how I want to
:group things, since it depends on the abstract semantics of the item 
:involved:
:
:  Last_OK_Date : constant := 99_12_31;
:
:is perfectly reasonable.

Really? I would have thought such use of integers created a huge potential 
for abuse. For example,

  with Text_io;
  procedure Nonsense is
    Last_OK_Date : constant := 99_12_31;
    Last_Balance : constant := 3_000;
  begin
    Text_io.Put_line (Integer'Image (Last_OK_Date + Last_Balance) );
  end;

I think I'll stick to records (or Eiffel classes) for composite types composed 
of numeric identity data such as dates, part numbers and Social Security numbers.


Don.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Don Harrison             donh@syd.csa.com.au