Ada 0x Wish List

["Peter Richtmyer" <pmr@efortress.com>]

Here are a few Ada "improvements" that I would like to see.
First couple are minor. Third is ...?

1) In a Package Spec, it would be nice to be able to declare
variables that are "constants' to other packages. that is, they can
be "read" by other packages, but not written / updated. Code
within the package (and child packages, etc) could update these
variables like any other variables.

e.g.:

   Package A is

       B : constant Integer := 5;   -- normal constant
       C : convar   integer := 8;   -- externally constant, internally
variable
       ...

Note the keyword "convar" is used for lack of a better keyword for now.


2) In a subroutine, would like to be able to declare variables that are
"persistent", like C "static" variables and only used by the one subroutine.
Presently this data must be in the package body (or spec, or some other
package spec), where it is visible and updatable by other routines,
even though it is intended for use by one routine only. (Or is there
another easy way to do this already?)

3) I would like "portable" representation specs. Regardless of the
endian-ness of the machine, would like an option (that is required
to be implemented for all compilers) so we can write rep specs once
and be able to use them on any computer. (Would also like the compilers
to continue to support Ada95 rep specs).

I could think of a number of different ways to specify these, but I am
sure others with compiler-writing experience would have more to say
on what is practical.

So, please go easy on me, but go at it on the ideas....   :-)

For Ada...
Peter