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: 103376,8cc219d579ff660e X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-02-12 06:59:20 PST Path: supernews.google.com!sn-xit-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: "Ira D. Baxter" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Wrong SI unit specification (& restore Ada relevance somewhat) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 09:03:47 -0600 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: References: <95fapr$1li$1@news-hrz.uni-duisburg.de> <3A8773E7.4330040F@bellsouth.net> X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Xref: supernews.google.com comp.lang.ada:5164 Date: 2001-02-12T09:03:47-06:00 List-Id: 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