[net.lang] Modula-2 - BITSET

CSvax:Pucc-H:Physics:hal@pur-ee.UUCP (09/30/83)

The type BITSET has no business being a STANDARD type, it belongs in
SYSTEM.  Its definition is blatantly machine dependent.

A related problem with all languages that have a SET type:  Why should
there be a limit on the size of a SET?  Certainly a set which fits in
one word is more efficient to access than one which requires many words;
but so what?  Can you imagine a language which limited the size of an
ARRAY or a RECORD to "a constant defined by the implementation"?
If there has to be a "small" limit (instead of MaxInt or MaxCard being
the limit), then as the very MINIMUM it should be possible to say
	SET OF CHAR;


				Hal Chambers
				Physics Dept.
				Purdue Univ.
				(...!pur-ee!pur-phy!hal)