Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pucc-i Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!CS-Mordred!Pucc-H:Pucc-I:ags From: ags@pucc-i (Seaman) Newsgroups: net.lang.mod2 Subject: Re: Pascal vs. Modula-2 Message-ID: <391@pucc-i> Date: Thu, 9-Aug-84 10:57:27 EDT Article-I.D.: pucc-i.391 Posted: Thu Aug 9 10:57:27 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 11-Aug-84 00:22:13 EDT References: <8600013@iuvax.UUCP> <385@pucc-i> <360@vu44.UUCP> Organization: Purdue University Computing Center Lines: 28 Jack Jensen, quoting my earlier article, says: >> One example: it was claimed that sets could not be >> larger than 16 bits (on 16-bit machines). Apparently the author didn't know >> that you can declare set types other than BITSET. > >That's right, but "Programming in Modula-2" states (chapter 18): > > .... In addition, implementations of Modula are allowed to set a > limit to the number og elements admissable in base types. THAT LIMIT > IS USUALLY THE WORDLENGTH OF THE COMPUTER USED .... > >(emphasis mine). >So, although it isn't true that sets can never be bigger than 16 bits >on a 16 bit machine, you should better beware that there is a very > good chance that 16 members is the limit. I was discussing the languages, not the implementations. Need I point out that implementations of Pascal can also set an upper limit, and that the limit may be equal to, or even less than, the word length on the machine? The Volition Systems implementation of Modula-2 which I use allows sets with up to 512 elements. The type BITSET allows 16 elements. -- Dave Seaman My hovercraft is no longer full of ..!pur-ee!pucc-i:ags eels (thanks to my confused cat).