Re: overload ":=" ???

[guerby@gnat.com (Laurent Guerby)]

David> like my example:
[...]

   You don't have to do write anything to use this kind of data
structures in Ada 95, there's a language-defined package called
Ada.Strings.Bounded that does exactly what you want, RM95-A.4.4.

David> a := To_Text("test"); -- seems too wordy

   If you are in a race where the goal is to type the minimal number
of character to write your code, I can tell you: ada is not the right
language (except in the case of parallelism since it's built in in the
language), use C/Fortran/C++/whatever and have a look at the
obfuscated C/C++ contests.

   In this case, you can write in Ada:

   function "+" (X : String) renames To_Text; -- or whatever

   a := +"test"; 

David> If that can't be done, then, IMHO, there is *one* way that C++
David> is better...  but the only one so far.

   If way = "type less characters", then you're right. 

David> why is this so hard to implement??

   If this = "the data structure", it's zero cost to implement it
since it's already in the language. (Oh well, I guess it's very hard
since it requires you learn Ada 95 and not just try to translate C++
in pseudo-Ada).

-- 
Laurent Guerby <guerby@gnat.com>, Team Ada.
   "Use the Source, Luke. The Source will be with you, always (GPL)."