Re: API design problem - buffer scatter I/O

[Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>]

christoph.grein@eurocopter.com writes:

> So, Bob, could you please elaborate about what is wrong in this
> description.

Let me make an analogy:

If I want to teach someone how to operate a car,
I will first tell them about the steering wheel,
the clutch, the brake pedal, stop signs, traffic
lights and so forth.

Later on, I might want to teach them about pistons
and spark plugs and gears.  But that "under the hood"
stuff is too much confusing detail at first.  It should
come later.  And I should make it clear that "four cylinders"
is just one way to do it -- some have 6 or 8, and maybe
some (electric cars?) don't have cylinders at all.
You still have to stop a stop sign, when driving an
electric car.

Likewise, for access types, beginners to Ada (whether or not they know
other languages first) need to know about .all and new and
Unchecked_Deallocation.  Later on, they can learn about interfacing to
C, unchecked conversion, and Address_To_Access_Conversions -- and maybe
even thin/fat pointers.  But I should make it clear that "fat pointers"
is just one way to do it.

In any case, it is certainly valuable to have a wiki or whatever
that presents things to programmers in a simpler way than the RM!

- Bob