Re: Enum'Image (Was: Improving Ada's image)

[Jacob Sparre Andersen <sparre@nbi.dk>]

Adrian Wrigley wrote:
> Randy Brukardt wrote:

> > In any case, Text_IO.Enumeration_IO does let you set the case of
> > the output. (It could use a Mixed_Case option, though). Remember
> > that 'image is for Q&D output, not the fancy stuff (something we
> > all forget often).

It took a moment to decode "Q&D" as "quick and dirty".

> A Mixed_Case option in Enumeration_IO seems pretty harmless though.
> I guess we have to wait another ten years for a chance of this to
> appear though

Yes.  The 200Y deadline has passed.

> Most of the suggestions fail to get the right case for enumeration
> output from generic functions, where the type has been passed as a
> parameter.  Possibiliies that get this right are rejected as having
> the potential to break existing code.

How would this fail for the representation clauses?

> Saying that 'Image is for Q&D programming might be true, but ignores
> the fact that that's what programmers often want.  Ada is sometimes
> shunned because of the presumed costs of meeting the language
> discipline.  In my experience, however, Ada is well suited to Q&D
> programming, because the integrity and clarity of the interfaces,
> and exceptionally low debugging time.

Ada _is_ fine for quick and dirty programming.  But for quick and
dirty programming, it can hardly be said to be necessary to output
enumerations verbatim.

> Here's a few enumerations that really need verbatim output of case:
> Ada, COBOL, Pascal, PostScript - languages
> kWh, Joules, kCal  - energy units
> ms, MS             - milliseconds? megasiemens?
> Mbps, MBPS, mbps   - megabits per second? millibytes per second?
> nVIDIA, ATI, Intel, AMD  - technology companies

Remember that since Ada identifiers are case insensitive, you
shouldn't use enumerations for case-specific I/O.  And I am sure that
is not going to change.

Jacob
-- 
"Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate
 agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the
 ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they
 want the ocean without the roar of its waters."
                                        -- Frederick Douglas