Re: The old "Object.Method" syntax debate

["David C. Hoos" <david.c.hoos.sr@ada95.com>]

"Rodrigo Garcia" <rodrigo.garcia@epfl.ch> wrote in message
news:3eccdf77$1@epflnews.epfl.ch...
> > Having worked in the .NET environment for quite a while, it's really
> > nice to be able to type an object name, then the dot, and immediately
> > see a little pop-up-window showing all of the available operations,
> > and being able to select from the list instead of typing the full
> > subprogram name.
>
> This feature has been around long time before .NET appeared. Microsoft
> people call it "IntelliSense" and many others just call it context
sensitive
> completion. I think it is a very nice feature, but it is just tool
support.
> I do not think it justifies a new syntax for Ada objects.

I dod not mean to suggest that the availability of "IntelliSense" justified
the
new syntax.  The new syntax would eliminate some code redundancy, as
the AI points out.
>
> I would be happy if an Ada editor had something similar with package
names.
> Once you type the name of a package, you could have a pop-up showing all
the
> available operations of the package. Does anybody know of something like
> that? Perhaps GPS?
emacs with ada-mode approaces this.  If you right-click on the name of a
package (e.g. in the with statement), you can go to the package
declaration.  If there were a pop-up-window as you suggest, it would be even
nicer if it did not limit itself to operations, but would list all package
entities
legal in the immediate editing context.
>
> I am one of those who suspect that the new syntax would add more confusion
> than advantages to the language.
As I pointed out in an earlier post, this syntax exists in Ada already for
protected types.  See, for example line 54 of phil.adb of the dining
philosophers
demonstration program that comes with GNAT:

      Room.Sticks (First_Grab).Pick_Up;

Room.Sticks (First_Grab) is the object; Pick_Up is the operation.

>
> Rodrigo
>
>
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