VHDL Issue Number: 1091 Classification: Language Definition Problem Language Version: VHDL-93 Summary: Group constituent names cannot have signatures. Related Issues: Relevant LRM Sections: 4.7, 5.1, 6.6 Key Words and Phrases: group declaration, signature, user-defined attribute, attribute specification, attribute name Current Status: Submitted 1076-1993 Disposition: N/A Disposition Rationale: N/A Superseded By: N/A ----------------------- Date Submitted: 1994/08/01 Author of Submission: Daniel S. Barclay Author's Affiliation: COMPASS Design Automation, Inc. Author's Post Address: 5457 Twin Knolls Rd., Suite 100 Columbia, MD 21045 USA Author's Phone Number: 410-992-5700 Author's Fax Number: 410-992-3536 Author's Net Address: daniel@compass-da.com ----------------------- Date Analyzed: TBD Author of Analysis: TBD Revision Number: $Revision: 1.8 $ Date Last Revised: $Date: 1995/05/15 20:07:17 $ Description of Problem ---------------------- To allow identification of specific overloaded subprograms or enumeration literals, VHDL-93 adds the syntactic construct of a signature. A name and a signature together identify a specific subprogram or enumeration literal; the name specifies all overloaded subprograms and enumeration literals with the given name, and the signature specifies the parameter and result type profile. Signatures are used in attribute specifications and attribute names to differentiate between overloaded subprograms and enumeration literals when defining and when referring to user-defined attributes. An entity designator in an attribute specification may include a signature after the entity tag. This signature identifies one specific subprogram or enumeration literal. Similarly, an attribute name may include a signature after the prefix. This signature similarly identifies one specific subprogram or enumeration literal. VHDL-93 also adds the group declaration construct to define arbitrary groupings of named entities. However, the syntax for group constituent names does not allow signatures. Therefore, overloaded subprograms and enumeration literals cannot be identified uniquely as they can be for attribute specifications and attribute names. Proposed Resolution ------------------- Change the syntax of group_constituent to allow a signature as entity_designator (for attribute_specifiation) and attribute_name do. VASG-ISAC Analysis & Rationale ------------------------------ TBD VASG-ISAC Recommendation for IEEE Std 1076-1993 ----------------------------------------------- TBD VASG-ISAC Recommendation for Future Revisions --------------------------------------------- TBD