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 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,9d303864ae4c70ad X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2004-04-09 08:49:06 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!news.glorb.com!zen.net.uk!dedekind.zen.co.uk!news.hacking.dk!pnx.dk!munin.nbi.dk!not-for-mail From: Jacob Sparre Andersen Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Expressing physical units (Was: Reprise: 'in out' parameters for functions) Date: 09 Apr 2004 17:48:58 +0200 Organization: Munin Sender: sparre@sparre.crs4.it Message-ID: References: <5ad0dd8a.0404090512.15af2908@posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 80.241.165.42 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: munin.grove.home 1081525741 12843 80.241.165.42 (9 Apr 2004 15:49:01 GMT) X-Complaints-To: sparre@munin.nbi.dk NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 15:49:01 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.2 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:6910 Date: 2004-04-09T17:48:58+02:00 List-Id: Wojtek Narczynski wrote: > Several warts. For example, [...] type system unable to express > physical units, [...]. The type system is not _unable_ to express physical units. It just has some limitations in how you can do it. And although I am annoyed by the limitations, I still haven't seen a description of how the language can make it easier, without introducing problems outweighing the benefits [1]. > But the problem real problem IMO is that the development of the > language has stagnated. What to one programmer appears as stagnation, appears as stability to another programmer. IMO change is grossly overrated. It is fine to use GNAT to do experiments with possible changes to Ada. And it is also fine to merge the experiments with sensible results into the standard, but I don't want to have to reread the LRM every six month. In general, change means cost (learning and tools). If the cost isn't exceeded by the benefits, then the change is bad. Jacob [1] I have tried to formulate such a modification to Ada myself, but ended up with something that appeared to be (provably) impossible to compile. -- "Computer Science is to Science, as Plumbing is to Hydrodynamics"