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From: Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Dereferencing and style guides
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 20:48:33 -0400
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
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Date: 2013-10-07T20:48:33-04:00
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Eryndlia Mavourneen <eryndlia@gmail.com> writes:

> On Thursday, October 3, 2013 2:20:47 PM UTC-5, Robert A Duff wrote:
>> 
>> . . .
>> 
>> No, sorry, I think the ".all" syntax is just plain weird.
>> 
>> - Bob
>
> ".all" *is* weird; however, some construct is required, for instance,
> to distinguish a stand-alone identifier for an object of an access
> type from a parameterless subprogram.  There may be other situations
> that require it that I am not aware of.

I like the syntax of Pascal: If X is a pointer, then "X" denotes that
pointer, "X^" denotes the object it points at (all of it!), and "X^.Y"
denotes the Y component of the object X points at (again, all of that
component!).  And "X.Y" is illegal.

Since dereference is just one character, it's not painful to read.
And it imparts useful information.

- Bob