Re: C++ Standardization (was: Once again, Ada absent from DoD SBIR solicitation)

[dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)]

"Gee, I thought the Annexes were OPTIONAL components of validated compilers, not
that compilers without the
annexes were SUBSET(!!!) (implied "NOT REALLY FULL Ada 95") compilers."

  Of course it is definitely the case that the annexes are optional, in the
  same sense that the optional modules of COBOL, e.g. the Report Generator,
  are optional. So a compiler that does not implement all the features
  of the language is still meeting the conformance requirements, just as
  would be the case with COBOL. No one is saying that such an implementation
  is not a valid Ada 95 implementation.

  By subset, I simply meant a subset of the full language capabilities in the
  RM. There is nothing wrong with subsetting the language by leaving out the
  annexes if the application does not need the full language! I would 
  certainly think that most people would think that "full language" meant
  everything in the RM, but you can use any term any way you want! Certainly
  for us, full language *does* mean all the capabilities in the RM.

Don't you think you ought to be a little more careful about what you're
writing between the lines? Or should we start slinging mud about the IDE
capabilities of GNAT on various platforms as so mehow making it not a "real"
Ada 95 compiler?  Seems of simiar relevance and bogosity. How about lowering
the BS level?

  Well since the idea of optional sections is new in Ada 95, I think it is
  important that everyone understand the issues here. TO me it is obfuscatory
  to claim you implement the full language and leave out important
  capabilities. Yes, these capabilities are optional from a formal
  point of view, e.g. for validation, but if you need the capabilities,
  then they are definitely not optional.

  As for "mud" slinging, the TSP salesfolks definitely emphasize what they
  feel is their superior IDE capabilities, and I don't think of it as mud
  at all. It's perfectly natural that different companies stress different
  aspects, and emphasize them. That's what competition is all about! In
  fact we regard the open GNAT environment as having advantages over IDE's
  for many people, since it is much easier to put together the tool set
  you want from standard tools. But that's something users have to decide
  for themselves!

Robert Dewar
Ada Core Technologies.