Re: Wrong SI unit specification (& restore Ada relevance somewhat)

["Ira D. Baxter" <idbaxter@semdesigns.com>]

Regardless of how the issue of spelling out units is resolved,
the real value in having units is to communicate to algorithm
users what the values really mean.

It seems that it would be useful to have the *compiler* know
what the units mean, too, so it could check for misuse.
Imagine assigning ergs to dollars without a cast :-}

How much value would such units-checking provide,
and how can one measure that value?
(I think NASA lost a recent Mars probe to a units misinterpretaion.
It is arguable if compiler-checking would have caught that).

--
Ira D. Baxter, Ph.D.,CTO           email: idbaxter@semdesigns.com
Semantic Designs, Inc.              web: http://www.semdesigns.com
12636 Research Blvd. C-214    voice: (512) 250-1018 x140
Austin, TX 78759-2200             fax: (512) 250-1191


> Clearly, the only suitable approach is to use spelled-out names.
So when I write in Ada, I
> follow the typical Ada practice, not English, although I try to
> make my Ada read reasonably well like English.
>
> Howard W. LUDWIG