From: Keith Thompson <kst@cts.com>
Subject: Re: Ada safety road Was: Which is right ...
Date: 1999/06/07
Date: 1999-06-07T20:45:01+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <yecwvxfrb96.fsf@king.cts.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 1999Jun6.181633.1@eisner
kilgallen@eisner.decus.org (Larry Kilgallen) writes:
> In article <928703068.617.98@news.remarQ.com>, "Vladimir Olensky" <vladimir_olensky@yahoo.com> writes:
> > But I see one problem here. All this information is scattered
> > around RM.
>
> In order to be definitive, the RM should not duplicate information in
> various locations, and thus cannot be in the ideal exposition format
> for all purposes.
The RM already has several "informative" annexes, which are not
strictly part of the standard. Annexes K (attributes) and L (pragmas)
are particularly useful, even though (or rather *because*) they
duplicate information scattered around the RM. An informative annex
listing all occurrences of erroneous execution and bounded errors
would have been useful.
As I was writing this, I realized we already have the next best thing.
The entry for "erroneous" in the RM's index refers to all the places
in the RM where the term is used; likewise for "bounded error".
This brings up a pet peeve of mine: the word "erroneous" was a poor
choice of terminology. It's an existing English word with a
well-defined meaning. When I use the word in an Ada context, I very
often have to explain the Ada-specific meaning. It also fails to make
it clear that it's the execution of a construct that's erroneous, not
the construct itself. Norman Cohen, in his book "Ada as a Second
Language", uses the phrase "unbounded error", which is much clearer.
Another good term is "undefined behavior", used by the C and C++
standards for (essentially) the same concept.
If we could keep people from using the word "erroneous" outside the
phrase "erroneous execution", there wouldn't be as much of a problem,
but that's not going to happen.
--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst@cts.com <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
San Diego Supercomputer Center <http://www.sdsc.edu> <*>
One of the great tragedies of ancient history is that Helen of Troy
lived before the invention of the champagne bottle.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1999-06-07 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 57+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1999-05-30 0:00 Which is right here - GNAT or OA ? Vladimir Olensky
1999-05-30 0:00 ` Florian Weimer
1999-05-31 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-05-31 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-05 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-05 0:00 ` Florian Weimer
1999-06-05 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-05 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-07 0:00 ` Ada safety road Was: Which is right Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-06 0:00 ` Larry Kilgallen
1999-06-07 0:00 ` Keith Thompson [this message]
1999-06-07 0:00 ` Hyman Rosen
1999-06-08 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-06-08 0:00 ` Keith Thompson
1999-06-09 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-09 0:00 ` Tucker Taft
1999-06-09 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-09 0:00 ` dennison
1999-06-09 0:00 ` Entamology of "Nasal Demons" dennison
1999-06-08 0:00 ` Ada safety road Was: Which is right Robert Dewar
1999-06-09 0:00 ` dennison
1999-06-08 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-07 0:00 ` Keith Thompson
1999-06-08 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-06-08 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-06-14 0:00 ` Ada safety road Franco Mazzanti
1999-06-15 0:00 ` Franco Mazzanti
1999-06-16 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-06 0:00 ` Ada safety road Was: Which is right Robert Dewar
1999-06-07 0:00 ` Pascal F. Martin
1999-06-07 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-08 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-06-10 0:00 ` Peter Amey
1999-06-10 0:00 ` Markus Kuhn
1999-06-11 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-12 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-12 0:00 ` JP Thornley
1999-06-13 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-16 0:00 ` William Dale
1999-06-19 0:00 ` JP Thornley
1999-06-21 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1999-06-13 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-12 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1999-06-13 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-13 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-13 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-13 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-13 0:00 ` swhalen
1999-06-13 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-06-01 0:00 ` Which is right here - GNAT or OA ? Tucker Taft
1999-05-30 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-05-31 0:00 ` Vladimir Olensky
1999-05-31 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-06-01 0:00 ` dennison
1999-05-31 0:00 ` David Botton
1999-06-01 0:00 ` dennison
1999-06-03 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
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