Re: 64-bit extensions

[Tim Teulings <tim@edge.ping.de>]

Hallo!

> What else would you suggest? Changing all modules containing pointers to use
> a new "POINTER64 TO ..."? Surly, not!

> You have some posibilities here, which one would you prefere?
> 1) leave pointers 32 bit -> can't use 64-bit mem

This is nonsense and is likely not to work.

> 2) make all pointers 64 bit -> how to interface to system-stuff?

Where do you see problems that connot be handled by a opaque pointertype
adress?

> 3) and a compilation option to switch pointer-size
> 4) add another reserved word POINTER64 and change all modules which should
>    use 64 bit pointers.
>    Please note: in this case you will get a) maintenenace problems (big, big
>    ones), b) have to change _all_ of e.g. the Oberon Systems modules (incl.
>    pure applications) if Oberon System should support 64 bit pointers.

Why should one differentiate between POINTER,POINTER32 or POINTER64?
Where in the OberonSystem is code that must handle POINTERs and
LONGINT, e.g. where is the code that depends on nummerical operations
specialy bound to LONGINT, that fores us to resize LONGINT? Isn't it ok
to use SIZE(ADDRESS) and just just check against minimal and maximal
bounds when adding or subtraction (a small value) from an address to
f.e. index some annonymous datapointer etc...? I don't see reasons for
ADDRESS beeing LONGINT that or not based on compability and missuse of
LONGINT as C-like void-pointer.

> IC!

IC, what? There are many reasons for the compiler to break not oly bad
design. The first test port to windows NT of ooc crashed , too, for (at
that point unknown) reason. MvA hadn't the time and the hardware to
check the case in deep (at least that's what I tjink I heard). I spend
a day to the windows NT version and found the bug and it was just one
line!

> You may be right, but a) POINTER is no a datatype and b) I don't see any
> other solution, do you? LONGINT has to be changed as a result.

As questioned before, give arguments, tell us detailed resons for that
besides history and compability.

-- 
Gru...
       Tim.