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From: Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: About String
Date: Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:32:36 -0400
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
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Date: 2008-06-08T14:32:36-04:00
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Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> writes:

> Chris Moore wrote:
>> I have to say this is an entirely non-intuitive "feature" of the language.
>
> I beg to differ. The program should be read as
>
>     declare <some variables>
>     begin <do something with those variables> end;
>
> The exception handler is within the "begin..end" block, not on the
> "declare".

Sure, that's right, but the syntax doesn't make it clear.
We have ample proof that this syntax is confusing:
More than one person in this thread has admitted to
being confused -- QED.  ;-)

I think it was a mistake to attach exception handlers
to declare blocks and procedures and so forth.  Instead,
there should be a single statement for handling exceptions,
as in Java and other languages.  Something like:

    handle
        ... statements ...
    exception
        when ... =>
            ...
    end;

>... (Indenting the "begin..exception..end" structure one level
> beyond the "declare" would make this more visible, but is not common
> practice.)

And it violates the recommended indentation defined by the RM.

Anyway, surely "end" belongs at the same column as "declare"
or "procedure" or whatever it's ending.

> I wonder if it would be a good idea for Ada to allow an exception
> handler also in the "declare" part, as follows:

That goes in the opposite direction I suggested above.
I think it would add confusion.

- Bob