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=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,febd9e55846c9556 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-03-03 09:52:11 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!nntp-relay.ihug.net!ihug.co.nz!west.cox.net!cox.net!newsfeed1.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!harp.news.atl.earthlink.net!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Endianness independance Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 12:50:47 -0500 Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Message-ID: References: <5115eb96.0303010248.1b2b8d37@posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: d1.56.be.f0 X-Server-Date: 3 Mar 2003 17:52:10 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:34831 Date: 2003-03-03T17:52:10+00:00 List-Id: Well, yes, of course. Ada has excellent facilities for dealing with representation and I did mention something about this elsewhere. My point is that if System X programmed with Compiler X, Version X to target hardware X thinks it is supposed to be sending a 16 bit integer to System Y programmed with Compiler Y, Version Y to target hardware Y and Y thinks its supposed to be receiving a 32 bit integer, you'll have a problem. Compiler X can't check Source Code Y to make sure it got it right. The language could forbid the very existence of 32 bit integers and solve the problem - except that Y would then get programmed in something else. The only way to deal with the issue is with some kind of verification external to the language. The language definition can't fix this - except possibly by eliminating possible representations and that only makes it useless in some contexts. MDC -- ====================================================================== Marin David Condic I work for: http://www.belcan.com/ My project is: http://www.jsf.mil/ Send Replies To: m c o n d i c @ a c m . o r g "Going cold turkey isn't as delicious as it sounds." -- H. Simpson ====================================================================== Stephen Leake wrote in message news:uu1ekigg5.fsf@nasa.gov... > > The point is that Ada provides a _standard_, _single_ representation > clause that works for both kinds of hardware: >