Re: A simple ADA puzzle (I haven't the answer)

["Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com>]

"Bob Spooner" <rls19@psu.edu> wrote in message
news:cbhq5o$bne$1@f04n12.cac.psu.edu...
> There is another case that isn't being considered here. When doing
real-time
> programming, I consider implicit use of the heap a _bad thing_ because the
> amout of time it takes to do the allocation is not deterministic. If I
want
> something to be allocated on the heap, I will say so explicitly. I do not
> want a compiler that silently does something I didn't ask for.

But you did ask for it -- you declared a variable-sized type. If you don't
want variable-sized types, then don't declare them.

In any case, Ada provides pragma Restrictions (No_Implicit_Heap_Allocations)
for this case. To say that a compiler should never implicitly use the heap
just because there are a few users that can't allow it is silly (especially
since a restriction is defined for these users). Most (regular) applications
use the heap plenty in their code, and additional use will not cause any
performance problems. Avoid heap use simply because it might cause a problem
is simply premature optimization for most applications.

So, no I have absolutely *no* sympathy for this position (in terms of the
language requirements, not of course in terms of application requirements).

                               Randy.