Python for air traffic control?

[Ralf Muschall]

Mirko Liss <mirko.liss at web.de> writes:

> typedef plane_t int ;  /* plane no */
> typedef lane_t int  ;  /* lane no */
> typedef go_down_in_pieces_t bool ;  
> go_down_in_pieces_t dispatch( plane_t flightno, \
>                               lane_t neigboring_highway ) ;

> If the arguments get swapped, the compiler gets angry.

No, typedef just creates aliases, *not* types.  One might consider
creating something like

    typedef struct { int value; } plane_t;

instead (and get bitten by the fact that struct tag names are not
local to the struct scope for some versions of C (i.e. adding

    typedef struct { int value; } lane_t;

would clash)).

> at run-time. Supposedly, you might want to drop dynamic 
> typing for your kind of application. 

Agreed.  For stuff like planes I'd use the strictest typing available
(probably something like SML's) in order to get fine-grained
compile-time errors, even from e.g. confusing fuel states given in
gallons or liters.  C's is far too weak, I don't remember whether
Pascal also did silent promotions like int->float or similar evil
things.

Ralf