Re: += in ada

[18k11tm001@sneakemail.com (Russ)]

"Robert I. Eachus" <rieachus@comcast.net> wrote in message news:<3F92B607.809@comcast.net>...
> Russ wrote:
> 
> > I simply do not understand your reasoning here. How does "+=" (or
> > ":+") have any more side effects than "Inc" or "++"? They are all just
> > procedures. Please give me an example where "+=" has a side effect
> > that "Inc" or "++" cannot have. Until you do, I think you may have
> > just exposed the irrationality of your objection to augmented
> > assignment operators.
> 
> This is what you continue to just not get.  Either the addition is a 
> side effect of the assignment, or the assignment is a side effect of the 
> addition.  I don't care that you don't think that way.  My point is that 
> Ada programmers think that way, and it makes += very ugly.  It may be, 
> from your point of view, irrational, stupid, crazy, etc., but I don't 
> care.  Nor do most Ada programmers.

You said that "+=" has more side effects than "Inc" or "++", and I
challenged you for an example where "+=" has a side effect that "Inc"
or "++" cannot have. I'm still waiting for your example, and I have a
feeling I'll be waiting for quite a while.

Your main argument against "+=" is hollow. The only argument you have
left is that "Ada programmers think that way". You guys can gang up on
me all you want, but the fact is that you are the ones with the hard
heads, and your attitude is allowing a promising language to die or
languish in the shadows.

Here's a word of advice for all you young programmers out there (if
there are any here). Don't get too attached to Ada, because your job
prospects as an Ada programmer in the next 20 years will be slim to
none. No, its not just because Ada doesn't have "+=", but it *is*
because of the attitude that refuses to add it, and compares such a
minor addition to the language to a "9.5 on the Richter scale."

Congratulations, Mr. Eachus, you've won the battle. But you (and all
the other regulars on this tiny little newsgroup) are losing the war.
You are developing the perfect language that nobody (except people
named Preben) will use any more unless they are forced to maintain
legacy code to feed themselves. Ada will be the COBOL of the next
generation -- except that it won't be used nearly as much.