Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!amdahl!dlb!megatest!djones
From: djones@megatest.UUCP (Dave Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.pascal
Subject: Re: Sun Pascal bug?
Message-ID: <301@goofy.megatest.UUCP>
Date: 7 Mar 88 00:55:13 GMT
References: <43904@sun.uucp>
Organization: Megatest Corporation, San Jose, Ca
Lines: 37

in article <43904@sun.uucp>, jjs%mykeiko@Sun.COM (James Simon) says:
> 
> In article <14411@oddjob.UChicago.EDU> vinson@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Michael Vinson) writes:
...

>>var FileName : packed array[1..80] of char;
>>...
>>write('Enter file name: ');
>>readln(FileName);
>>
  [ It gives a compile-error. ]
>>
>>Michael Vinson
> 
> This problem/feature has been fixed. I don't know what to say
> other than that in the Pascal 1.1 realease I/O is better.
> 
> James Simon


Reading strings with a readln in Pascal is not a standard feature.  I am
not in the habit of defending Pascal, expecially its I/O, but I can see
why it is not a feature:  What is a string?  The entrie file?  The next
80 chars in the file?  The characters up to the next white-space char?
Up to the next line-end?  Should the string-variable be null-terminated
or blank-filled?

If you use readln on a string, and it compiles, the implemnetation may
not be portable to other systems, even if they have 'fixed the 
problem/feature.'

But then, all this is not really too important is it?

Just write the dad-gum GetString procedure.


		Dave J.