VHDL Issue Number: 1109 Classification: Language Definition Problem Language Version: VHDL-93 Summary: The term "named entity" it not defined. Related Issues: 1110, 1111 Relevant LRM Sections: 4.3, 5, 5.1, others Key Words and Phrases: named entity Current Status: Submitted 1076-1993 Disposition: N/A Disposition Rationale: N/A Superseded By: N/A ----------------------- Date Submitted: 1995/04/06 Author of Submission: Daniel S. Barclay Author's Affiliation: COMPASS Design Automation, Inc.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: 1.6 $ Date Last Revised: $Date: 1995/04/14 00:08:59 $ Description of Problem ---------------------- The term "named entity" is not defined. This undefined term is used in many places in the LRM, including a number of specific definitions, and seems to be is used inconsistently. Some particular cases that ill-defined are: objects (4.3), the set of things for which aliases can be declared (4.3.3), what is allowed in a group (4.7), applicability of specifications (5), the meaning of attribute specifications (5.1), many details of the semantics of of names (6), globally static primaries (7.4.2), visibility (10.3). From general usage throughout the LRM and from the specific exclusions in section 4.3, it appears that "named entity" was meant to include the things that are declared by declarations, have simple names associated with them, and potentially can be denoted by those simple names, and that the term was not meant to include everything denotable by any kind of name. However, the section on names contradicts this. Section 6.1 says, "The evalu- ation of a name determines the named entity denoted by the name." This wording assumes that that every name denotes a named entity, and implies that a named entity is anything denotable by a name. This is a contradiction. Proposed Resolution ------------------- Rewrite the whole darn LRM, including the following: Determine how "named entity" should be defined, define it that way, and review _all_ references and update them appropriately. Some specific references that need to be updated are: - The definition of object. It is not clear whether a user-defined attribute is an object. - The definition of attributes. The current wording excludes predefined attributes of user-defined attributes. - The definition (or description) of group declarations. Specify whether a name that is a group constituent must denote only a named entity or whether it may denote a member of an object or be an attribute name. - The description of what names can denote. If user-defined attributes are not named entities, and if attribute names for predefined attributes of user-defined attribute are legal, then the entry "attributes of any named entity" is not sufficient. VASG-ISAC Analysis & Rationale ------------------------------ TBD VASG-ISAC Recommendation for IEEE Std 1076-1993 ----------------------------------------------- TBD VASG-ISAC Recommendation for Future Revisions --------------------------------------------- TBD