Re: Ada -vs- GNAT

["Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com>]

Steve Doiel wrote in message ...
>I've been using Ada for a several years now.  In my opinion one of the
>greatest strengths of the language is in its portability.  I find it
>reassuring that different vendors distribute the same reference manual
for
>the language.
>
>Recently I did some work with XML/Ada and found a few pieces code
dependent
>on the GNAT specific attributes 'img and 'unrestricted_access.  I was
able
>to make the code work with ObjectAda (and any other Ada compiler) by
making
>a few small changes to the sources.
>
>Personally I find the introduction of attributes and pragmas that are
not
>essential to be undesirable.


I agree. GNAT does provide a help, though, with the restrictions
pragmas:

    pragma Restrictions (No_Implementation_Pragmas);

and

    pragma Restrictions (No_Implementation_Attributes);

These are likely to be in the next version of Ada (see AI-257:
http://www.ada-auth.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/AIs/AI-00257.TXT ).

     Randy Brukardt.