Re: Real syntax problems in Ada

[stefan-lucks@see-the.signature]

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012, Georg Bauhaus wrote:

> On 29.08.12 12:43, stefan-lucks@see-the.signature wrote:
> >    generic
> >       type Item is private;
> >       type Many_Items is array(Positive range <>) of Item;
> >       with function "<"(Left, Right: Item) return Boolean is <>;
> >    function Minimum(List: Many_Items) return Item;
> > 
> > Ask programmers without Ada experience what this is. Most would read this 
> > as a generic declaration of something -- but how many would read this as 
> > the generic declaration of a function called "Minimum"?
> 
> It is good to see a reference to at least one of the touchstones
> of readability.

What do you mean by "touchstones of readability"?

In any case. "Normal" declarations have *first* what is declared (e.g., 
"function", then the name, and then the parameter list. Which is logical 
-- you first need to know what is declared, before you care about the 
parameter list. 

Generic declarations have first the parameter list (well, after the 
keyword "generic"), and only then *what* is declared. This is convoluted 
and ill readable. Or am I the only one who dislikes jumping from "generic" 
down to "function" and then back to the line below "generic" when reading 
stuff like the above? (Especially, of course, when the paramter list is 
longer than just the 3 lines above ...)



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