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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,bd40601768eaf8fd X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Brian Rogoff Subject: Re: Array of Variant Records Question... Date: 1999/09/14 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 525231501 References: <7r5vh3$imu1@svlss.lmms.lmco.com> <37d6a45c@news1.prserv.net> <37d6ccb6@news1.prserv.net> <7r77i8$i08$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <37d7c116@news1.prserv.net> <7r8t21$ov5$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <37dcf193@news1.prserv.net> <7rlcis$css$1@nnrp1.deja.com> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Trace: nntp1.ba.best.com 937361376 222 bpr@206.184.139.136 MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1999-09-14T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: On Tue, 14 Sep 1999, Robert Dewar wrote: > In article > , > Brian Rogoff wrote: > > In fact, I find it considerably less > > annoying than those cases where I have to explicitly > instantiate a > > generic subprogram when it is fairly obvious what I want. > > Note that you gave the writer's point of view here, Your > point would have been stronger if you had said that it > was annoying to read someone else's code in which there is > an explicit instantiation which is obvious. You are correct. Having read much C++ code which uses *some* implicit instantiations, I have to say it is much easier to read than similar Ada which forces you to be explicit about everything. Take into consideration that I find C++ syntax horrible in comparison with Ada, and I think you can infer that at least in my case, implicit instantiation can be beneficial for the reader. > (I personally do NOT agree that implicit instantiations help > readability) Would you care to elaborate? Do you think implicit instantiations hinder readability? Do you think they *never* help readability? Your parenthesized comment admits too many interpretations. Many programming language designers seem to think that overloading seriously hinders readability too. I think that optional implicit instantiation is very much like overloading: used well it leads to more readable code but I can imagine that used carelessly it could be problematic. -- Brian