Re: Bitwise operators

[Robert A Duff <bobduff@world.std.com>]

Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Bitwise operators
References: <qxLw6.488391$Pm2.7613079@news20.bellglobal.com>
	<wccwv97klvu.fsf@world.std.com>
	<17%x6.222$UK4.21679@www.newsranger.com>
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Ted Dennison<dennison@telepath.com> writes:

> 
> In article <wccwv97klvu.fsf@world.std.com>, Robert A Duff says...
> >
> >Ted Dennison<dennison@telepath.com> writes:
> >
> >> Boolean, arrays of Boolean, and Modular types support them. Integers do not.
> >
> >Modular types *are* integer types.

> Clearly I meant things specified by the identifier *integer* or one of
> its subtypes,

No, I think you meant "signed integer types".  This includes types
derived from Standard.Integer, and integer types declared the "usual"
way (ie, "type T is range A..B;"), which have nothing to do with the
identifier Integer.

>... not what the LRM (IMHO confusingly) refers to as integer
> types (which includes modular types, as well as the type
> "integer").

It's confusing to me, too.  But I suspect it's only confusing to you and
me because we learned Ada 83 first, where "integer type" refered to what
is now called "signed integer type".  True?

After all, both signed integer and modular types have mathematical
integers as their values.  So why shouldn't both be called integer
types?

>... Admittedly, the "proper" LRM term for this is "signed
> integer type", but bringing up strict LRM terminology in a beginner
> thread is only going to confuse the reader.

Sorry for all this nitpicking.  But I really don't agree that beginners
should be taught the wrong terminology.  It will only confuse them when
they try to read something about Ada (the RM or a text book).

Now I admit that I say "pointer" instead of "access type" or "access
value" when I'm talking informally about Ada programs.  But that doesn't
confuse -- pointers point at things, and there's no conflicting
definition of pointer in the Ada RM.  But there *is* a definitiion of
"integer type", so I think you will confuse people when you say "integer
type" to mean "signed integer type".

- Bob