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 X-Google-Thread: 103376,bc1361a952ec75ca X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-07-30 01:36:02 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news.tele.dk!129.240.148.23!uio.no!ntnu.no!not-for-mail From: randhol@kiuk0156.chembio.ntnu.no (Preben Randhol) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: How to make Ada a dominant language Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 08:36:01 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Norwegian university of science and technology Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: kiuk0156.chembio.ntnu.no Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: tyfon.itea.ntnu.no 996482161 20104 129.241.83.82 (30 Jul 2001 08:36:01 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@itea.ntnu.no NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 08:36:01 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: slrn/0.9.7.1 (Linux) Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:10720 Date: 2001-07-30T08:36:01+00:00 List-Id: In article , Russ wrote: > The Ada programming language is based on an excellent fundamental > design, but it is much less popular than it could be because it has an > awkward, "klunky" syntax. I propose to clean up the syntax by > borrowing from Python. Python is very popular high level "scripting" > language with a reputation for promoting clean, clear code. The new If you compare it to Perl, yes. > syntax could be translated into Ada95 syntax with a relatively simple > "preprocessor," so existing compilers could still be used, old code > would continue to work, and programmers could continue to use the old > syntax if they wish. [snipped suggestions] > > Honestly now, which of the following two statements is cleaner and > clearer? > > count: integer := 0; -- old syntax Reads: Count is integer and set is to 0 > > integer: count = 0 -- new syntax Reads: Integer count equals 0 I prefer the old way, as it is easier to read. Why is it so very important to use = to set a value and then == when you check it? I have not understood this. I don't at all agree that one should change the syntax. There is no need to make the programs less readable. You should read your source code more often than you write it. Besides none of these changes will make Ada more popular, it will only make it a yet-another-language. Now Ada has advantages over other languages and one is that it is highly readable. Preben -- �Don't use C; In my opinion, C is a library programming language not an app programming language.� - Owen Taylor (GTK+ developer) Use Ada 95, a free language. More info at http://www.adapower.com/