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=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,FREEMAIL_FROM autolearn=unavailable autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Path: backlog2.nntp.dca3.giganews.com!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!newspeer1.nac.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1a.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!news.stack.nl!aioe.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: =?utf-8?Q?Yannick_Duch=C3=AAne_=28Hibou57?= =?utf-8?Q?=29?= Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Oberon and Wirthian languages (was: Heartbleed) Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 18:35:32 +0200 Organization: Ada @ Home Message-ID: References: <1ljwj8f.1wqbhvuabsdw1N%csampson@inetworld.net> <51c7d6d4-e3be-44d5-a4ce-f7e875345588@googlegroups.com> <%J32v.70539$kp1.45343@fx14.iad> <8761m535e4.fsf_-_@ludovic-brenta.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: Y10Rmk3cmxajnL+x3h8IkQ.user.speranza.aioe.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-Printable X-Complaints-To: abuse@aioe.org User-Agent: Opera Mail/12.16 (Linux) X-Notice: Filtered by postfilter v. 0.8.2 Xref: number.nntp.dca.giganews.com comp.lang.ada:185862 Date: 2014-04-19T18:35:32+02:00 List-Id: Le Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:50:11 +0200, Ludovic Brenta = a =C3=A9crit: > Simon Clubley writes: >>>> What may be a viable option would be if a simpler Wirth style >>>> language existed and whose compiler generated object code compatibl= e >>>> with gcc and used binutils for it's assembling/linking phase. >>> >>> Oberon? >> >> Something based on one of the Oberon variants is _exactly_ the kind o= f >> thing I was thinking of. I would modify some of the syntax elements t= o >> make them more Ada like however. >> >> You know, Oberon-14 sounds like a nice name for a new programming >> language. :-) > > The problem I have with Oberon and its descendants is that they remove= d > the subrange types from Modula-2 (they are similar to Ada's subtypes o= f > numeric types). Also, TTBOMK, no Wirthian language allows the > programmer to define new numeric types from scratch and make them > incompatible at compile-time (i.e. requiring explicit type conversion)= . > According to John McCormick's famous reseach paper[1], the most > desirable features of a programming language are, in order of > importance: > > - Modeling of scalar objects. > Strong typing. > Range constraints. > Enumeration types. > - Parameter modes that reflect the problem rather than the mechanism. > - Named parameter association. > - Arrays whose indices do not have to begin at zero. > - Representation clauses for device registers (record field selection > rather than bit masks). > - Higher level of abstraction for tasking (rendezvous rather than > semaphores). > - Exception handling. > > And personally, I share his opinion :) I personally do to :-) What's also interesting in this ordered list, is exception handling move= d = at the last position. However, an `Halt` statement or similar, with = something like the =E2=80=9Clast=E2=80=91chance handler=E2=80=9D GNAT ha= s, would be unavoidable. The other interesting point, is as you mentioned, is that it does not = suggest a new language, just an Ada subset (added it's access type which= = is not listed). -- = =E2=80=9CSyntactic sugar causes cancer of the semi-colons.=E2=80=9D [1] =E2=80=9CStructured Programming supports the law of the excluded muddle.= =E2=80=9D [1] [1]: Epigrams on Programming =E2=80=94 Alan J. =E2=80=94 P. Yale Univers= ity