From: Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid>
Subject: Re: Real syntax problems in Ada
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:47:02 +0300
Date: 2012-08-28T13:47:02+03:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <aa3lt6ForjU1@mid.individual.net> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <1p5r39cusgc1n$.18nj9sytckk6$.dlg@40tude.net>
On 12-08-28 11:13 , Dmitry A. Kazakov wrote:
> What are real problems with Ada syntax as opposed to the imaginary ones
> (e.g. Ada does not look like C, Forth, Elder Futhark, you name it)?
>
> My short list:
And my opinions/votes:
> 1. Too many unnecessarily reserved keywords;
At least the reserved words tend to be short, and therefore not so
suitable for identifiers.
I believe that reserved words make it easier for compilers to give good
error messages.
> 2. "end record" instead of "end <record type name>";
I agree. The second form should be allowed.
> 3. "task type" and "protected type" instead of "type T is task ...";
Neutral. I don't much mind the asymmetry, although I don't see any good
reason for it.
> 4. "overriding procedure Foo" instead of "procedure Foo is overriding";
I prefer the current form, with overriding at the start. "Overriding" is
not a property of "Foo" itself, but of the declaration.
> 5. "X : T := E", but "procedure X is <body>";
I like the present form. The "procedure" and "function" keywords in the
left margin make the source code more readable. The role of subprograms
in a program is so different from the role of variables (objects) that a
different declaration style is motivated.
> 6. Lack of per point notation for nD array aggregates, e.g.
> Diag : Matrix := ((1,1)=>1.0, (2,2)=>1.0, (3,3)=>1.0, others => 0.0);
Could be useful on occasion. Would be nice to have.
> 7. "exception" must be required in the bodies of tasks, Initialize,
> Finalize (however, this could be resolved by non-syntactic means, e.g. by
> contracted exceptions);
Not really a question of syntax. Best handled by a legality rule.
> 8. The order in which the keywords "new", "interface", "limited",
> "abstract", "tagged", "private" may appear should be free.
Ok, why not. But the present strictness is at most a minor nuisance.
--
Niklas Holsti
Tidorum Ltd
niklas holsti tidorum fi
. @ .
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2012-08-28 10:47 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 40+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2012-08-28 8:13 Real syntax problems in Ada Dmitry A. Kazakov
2012-08-28 10:20 ` Georg Bauhaus
2012-08-28 10:47 ` Niklas Holsti [this message]
2012-08-28 11:33 ` J-P. Rosen
2012-08-31 13:35 ` Robert A Duff
2012-08-28 13:27 ` Vasiliy Molostov
2012-08-28 15:23 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
2012-08-28 20:18 ` Vasiliy Molostov
2012-08-29 7:25 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
2012-08-29 10:47 ` Vasiliy Molostov
2012-08-29 11:58 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
2012-08-30 17:38 ` Vasiliy Molostov
2012-08-28 15:14 ` Adam Beneschan
2012-08-28 16:18 ` J-P. Rosen
2012-08-28 16:39 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
2012-08-28 21:38 ` Randy Brukardt
2012-08-29 6:58 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
2012-08-29 10:43 ` stefan-lucks
2012-08-29 10:58 ` stefan-lucks
2012-08-29 13:14 ` Niklas Holsti
2012-08-29 17:52 ` stefan-lucks
[not found] ` <fbps38pgcuf8fgioptt39s6u7dme1aqs7r@invalid.netcom.com>
2012-09-02 10:16 ` svaa
2012-08-29 13:33 ` Georg Bauhaus
2012-08-29 17:20 ` Jeffrey Carter
2012-08-29 17:51 ` stefan-lucks
2012-08-30 9:12 ` Georg Bauhaus
2012-08-28 21:49 ` Randy Brukardt
2012-08-28 23:09 ` Adam Beneschan
2012-08-29 7:34 ` Egil Høvik
2012-08-28 19:41 ` Florian Weimer
2012-08-28 20:53 ` Shark8
2012-08-28 21:07 ` Adam Beneschan
2012-08-28 21:25 ` Shark8
2012-08-28 22:59 ` Adam Beneschan
2012-08-29 7:06 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
2012-08-30 21:08 ` Randy Brukardt
2012-08-30 22:06 ` sbelmont700
2012-08-30 22:34 ` Adam Beneschan
2012-08-30 22:54 ` William Findlay
2012-08-31 7:39 ` Dmitry A. Kazakov
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