Re: Ada2005

[Ray Blaak <blaak@telus.net>]

dmitry@elros.cbb-automation.de (Dmitry A. Kazakov) writes:
> However, what people criticizing Ada usualy want, is just a syntax
> sugar, which would allow to refer methods using postfix form if there
> is only one dispatching [or class-wide] argument and it is the first
> one.

Like me.

> I think in a future revision there could be some variant of rename
> statement which would allow to do this and also the opposite thing
> [for "methods" of protected objects and tasks which are always called
> using the postfix form]. For instance:
> 
> type Ellipse is tagged ...
> procedure Draw (Figure : Ellipse, Where : Point);
> entry Ellipse.Draw (Where : Point) renames Draw;

Why not make it automatic? The extra declaration is tedious and requires extra
maintenance.

Given:

  e : Ellipse;

then have

  e.Draw(p)

be valid iff Draw exists with an Ellipse as its first parameter.

Then it is truly just an alternate syntax to be used if desired, and not used
if not.

Where it gets wierd, I suppose, is if one has an "in out" or "out"
parameter. One wants to allow update methods, but does e.Draw(p) make sense if
e is completely replaced?

-- 
Cheers,                                        The Rhythm is around me,
                                               The Rhythm has control.
Ray Blaak                                      The Rhythm is inside me,
blaak@telus.net                                The Rhythm has my soul.