ISAC: Proposed agenda for ISAC meeting December 1

From: Chuck Swart <cswart_at_.....>
Date: Tue Nov 29 2005 - 18:01:01 PST
Next Meeting: Thursday December 1, 2005, 6 pm Pacific Standard Time
              (Friday December 2, 2005, 2 am GMT)

1. New ISAC Issues:

2077    Submitted                       Incorrect wording on some 
language constructs
2078    Submitted                       Allow attribute 
declaration/specification in package body
2079    Submitted                       Is TIME a locally static type?

(2078 and 2079 are attached. 2077 was sent previously)

2. Open ISAC issues:

2038    Submitted       Ajay            Minor semantic errors
2054    Analyzed        Larry           Individual assoc. rules for 
array formal are not valid
2070    Analyzed        Chuck           Support for floating point 
denormal numbers
2071    Analyzed        Chuck           Indexed name in case expression
2072    Submitted                            Allow static operations on 
"ranges"
2073    Analyzed        Chuck           Index constraints and discrete 
range conversions from universal_integer
2074    Analyzed        Chuck & Ajay    Problem with direct/select 
visibility in formal part
2075    Submitted       Ajay             Arrays with numeric and 
enumeration index types are not closely related

3. Categorization of Old IRs:

Currently done:

Status

1002    Open     Ambiguity as to when parameter subtype indications are 
elaborated.
1003    Open     Non-commutative and non-associative resolution 
functions are a source of non-determinism
1004    Enhancement-Analysis needed Are deferred constants still 
deferred after their full declaration?
1008    Resolved Function NOW is undefined during static elaboration.
1009    Open     Unclear context of evaluation for formal part of block 
map aspects.
1013    Open     Reference to a generate loop parameter in a 
configuration is unclear
1014    Open     The LENGTH attribute is ill-defined.
1017    Open     Why must a name in a wait stmt. sens. list be static?
1019    ??Compare with 2028 The signal updating steps of the simulation 
cycle is incorrect.
1024    Open     VPI Issue 20 -- Primary units with same name

4. Status of Web Based IR System






VHDL Issue Number:        2078

Language_Version          VHDL-2002
Classification            Language Modeling Enhancement or Deficiency
Summary                   Allow attribute declaration/specification in package body
Relevant_LRM_Sections     2.6 Package bodies
                          2.5 Package declarations
Related_Issues            
Key_Words_and_Phrases     Foreign subprograms
                          Attribute definition/specification in package body
Authors_Name              Ernst Christen
Authors_Phone_Number      503-547-6096
Authors_Fax_Number        
Authors_Email_Address     Ernst.Christen@synopsys.com
Authors_Affiliation       Synopsys, Inc.
Authors_Address1          2025 NW Cornelius Pass Rd.
Authors_Address2          Hillsboro, OR 97124
Authors_Address3          

Current Status:           Submitted

Superseded By:

------------------------
Date Submitted:           21 November 2005
Date Analyzed:
Author of Analysis:
Revision Number:          0
Date Last Revised:

Description of Problem
----------------------

The definition of package_body_declarative_item does not include the
productions attribute_declaration and attribute_specification for no
apparent reason. This makes it impossible to declare a (public)
subprogram in a package whose definition depends on a private foreign
subprogram. The only way around this restriction is to make the
foreign subprogram public, i.e. to include its declaration and the
corresponding attribute specification in the package. This workaround
unnecessarily exposes a part of the implementation of the original
function, which is undesirable.

Proposed Resolution
-------------------

Allow attribute declarations and attribute specifications to occur as
package body declarative items.

VASG-ISAC Analysis & Rationale
------------------------------
TBD

VASG-ISAC Recommendation for IEEE Std 1076-2002
-----------------------------------------------
TBD

VASG-ISAC Recommendation for Future Revisions
---------------------------------------------
TBD


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VHDL Issue Number:        2079

Language_Version          VHDL-2002
Classification            Language Definition Problem
Summary                   Is TIME a locally static type?
Relevant_LRM_Sections     7.4.1 Locally static primaries
                          14.1 Predefined attributes
                          3.1.3.1 Predefined physical types
Related_Issues            
Key_Words_and_Phrases     Locally static primaries
                          type TIME and staticness
Authors_Name              Ernst Christen
Authors_Phone_Number      503-547-6096
Authors_Fax_Number        
Authors_Email_Address     Ernst.Christen@synopsys.com
Authors_Affiliation       Synopsys, Inc.
Authors_Address1          2025 NW Cornelius Pass Rd.
Authors_Address2          Hillsboro, OR 97124
Authors_Address3          

Current Status:           Submitted

Superseded By:

------------------------
Date Submitted:           21 November 2005
Date Analyzed:
Author of Analysis:
Revision Number:          0
Date Last Revised:

Description of Problem
----------------------

LRM 7.4.1 defines a locally static primary to be, among other things:
    a) A literal of any type other than type TIME

    f) A predefined attribute that is a function, other than the
    predefined attributes 'EVENT, 'ACTIVE, 'LAST_EVENT, 'LAST_ACTIVE,
    'LAST_VALUE, 'DRIVING, and 'DRIVING_VALUE, whose prefix is either
    a locally static subtype or is an object that is of a locally
    static subtype, and whose actual parameter (if any) is a locally
    static expression.
    
    LRM 7.4.1 also defines that "A locally static subtype is either a
    locally static scalar subtype, ...", and finally "A locally static
    scalar subtype is either a scalar base type or a scalar subtype
    formed by imposing on a locally static subtype a locally static
    range constraint."
    
    We conclude that according to these rules, TIME is a locally
    static subtype since TIME is a scalar type and therefore a scalar
    base type. Consequently, the expression TIME'VALUE("100 ns") is a
    locally static primary since TIME is a locally static subtype,
    'VALUE is not on the exclusion list in item f) listed above, and
    the parameter of TIME'VALUE is a locally static
    expression. Conversely, the expression 100 ns is not a locally
    static primary according to item a) listed above.
    
    The reason for literals of type TIME not being locally static
    primaries appears to be related to the possibility of selecting a
    secondary unit of type TIME as the resolution limit for a given
    execution of a model. LRM 3.1.3.1 states in this context that "It
    is an error if a given unit of type TIME appears anywhere within
    the design hierarchy defining a model to be executed, and if the
    position number of that unit is less than that of the secondary
    unit selected as the resolution limit for type TIME during the
    execution of the model, unless that unit is part of a physical
    literal whose abstract literal is either the integer value zero or
    the floating-point value zero." This rule can only be enforced
    when the secondary unit of type TIME selected as the resolution
    limit is known, which is the reason why literals of type TIME are
    globally static primaries. It seems that the same should be true
    for the primary TIME'VALUE("100 ns").
    

Proposed Resolution
-------------------

Three possible resolutions come to mind:

    a) define TIME to be a globally static type. This would have the
    consequence that primaries like TIME'POS would no longer be
    locally static.

    b) include 'VALUE in the exclusion list in 7.4.1.f). This seems to
    be overkill as for all types other than TIME no exception is
    necessary

    c) create a special rule for TIME'VALUE in 7.4.1

VASG-ISAC Analysis & Rationale
------------------------------
TBD

VASG-ISAC Recommendation for IEEE Std 1076-2002
-----------------------------------------------
TBD

VASG-ISAC Recommendation for Future Revisions
---------------------------------------------
TBD


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Received on Tue Nov 29 18:01:12 2005

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