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: 103376,897417b380f5731e
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
From: Hyman Rosen <hymie@prolifics.com>
Subject: Re: STL, Ada, C++ (Was Re: The Next Microsoft?)
Date: 2000/05/08
Message-ID: <t7og6gahgm.fsf@calumny.jyacc.com>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 620818331
Sender: hymie@calumny.jyacc.com
References: <8eg37k$15n$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8epkoa$b8b$1@nnrp1.deja.com>
 <E$OcUgAHHIE5Ewfl@quik.freeuk.net> <8eu0ob$7qv$1@nnrp1.deja.com>
 <u4s8dosyz.fsf@infomatch.com> <m3hfcdvsg6.fsf@flash.localdomain>
 <t7zoq4c3ud.fsf@calumny.jyacc.com> <m3d7n0x4nc.fsf@flash.localdomain>
 <t7vh0sbzrz.fsf@calumny.jyacc.com> <391328F0.1221@synquiry.com>
 <t7n1m4bve7.fsf@calumny.jyacc.com> <39133213.64A@Ganymede.com>
 <Pine.BSF.4.21.0005071606250.9268-100000@shell5.ba.best.com>
 <8f50hc$hpo$1@nnrp1.deja.com>
X-Complaints-To: abuse@panix.com
X-Trace: news.panix.com 957819409 3056 209.49.126.226 (8 May 2000 20:56:49
 GMT)
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
NNTP-Posting-Date: 8 May 2000 20:56:49 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 2000-05-08T20:56:49+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-deja.com> writes:
> I am not at all convinced that automatic instantiation is
> a help to the reader and maintainer, on the contrary, it
> seems very awkward to have uses of templates not be visible
> from this point of view.

I consider automatic instantiation of templates to be the compile-time
polymorphism equivalent of run-time dispatching on class-wide types.
When you make a dispatching call, you do not know what function you
are calling. Similarly, you should be able to call a generic function
without explicitly stating which one you are calling.