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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID
	autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 103376,ca9eef4d5e2078ea
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
From: gwinn@res.ray.com (Joe Gwinn)
Subject: Re: Beware: Rep spec on an enumeration type causes code explosion
Date: 1997/12/08
Message-ID: <gwinn-0812971139300001@dh5055133.res.ray.com>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 296314669
References: <gwinn-0512972303070001@dh5055063.res.ray.com>
 <dewar.881405161@merv>
Organization: Raytheon Electronic Systems
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-12-08T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


In article <dewar.881405161@merv>, dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) wrote:

> <<Question.  Is there an Ada95 FAQ or the like, full of suitably dire
>   warnings?  I have seen very useful and widely used published books of such
>   things for C and C++, but have never seen anything like it for Ada95.  If
>   there isn't yet one, perhaps we should develop one, for our mutual
>   protection.>>
> 
> 
> Although there are some general things that could be said, a lot of this
> material is compiler dependent, so the place to go for such help and
> information is most definitely your compiler vendor. We find that a lot
> of our support work for GNAT involves working with our customers to help
> them understand precisely the kind of issues that Joe raised in his post.

Actually, I don't really care if some warnings are compiler dependent.  It
doesn't help the pain to know that it isn't universal.  

The C/C++ world is no different in this.  C++, a very complex language,is
known for its beartraps.

By and large, vendors (not just compiler vendors) don't seem to be
comfortable coming forth with sufficiently specific, pointed, and timely
warnings to allow the unwashed users to avoid blunders.  The rule seems to
just hope that the users will be lucky.  The larger the project, the less
lucky one is likely to be.  So, we will have to look to some other source
for our warnings.

What has in the past worked is lists of general issues and warnings,
without the naming of specific vendors, even though some issues may not be
universal, so at least we know under which rocks to look.  One way of
looking at this is that the list gives the relative size, weight, and
power of various idioms, so users have some idea what things cost.


Joe Gwinn