[m-dev.] for review: new module for handling file offsets

[Fergus Henderson]

On 09-Mar-1999, Zoltan Somogyi <zs at cs.mu.OZ.AU> wrote:
> 
> > > library/file_offset.m:
> > > 	A new module to handle conversions from offsets into files into
> > > 	line number, column number pairs.
> > 
> > That module looks fine, but I don't think it is of sufficiently general
> > usefulness to warrant inclusion in the standard library.
> 
> I disagree. Many other programs (in fact, all well-written programs that
> handle complex input) want to be able to give good error messages for
> problems with their input, and this module is useful in helping them
> accomplish that.

Well, as a compromise, how about putting it somewhere else (e.g.
somewhere in extras) to start with, and then moving it to the standard
library when there is a bit more support for it?

Before adding it to the standard library, I'd like to see at least one
or two examples of a program other than the Mercury compiler/debugger/profiler
which uses this library, or some wider expressions of support from the
other Mercury developers, or requests from the user community, or something
else along those lines.

If we add it somewhere else for now, it will be easy to move it to
the standard library when the time comes.

-- 
Fergus Henderson <fjh at cs.mu.oz.au>  |  "I have always known that the pursuit
WWW: <http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/~fjh>  |  of excellence is a lethal habit"
PGP: finger fjh at 128.250.37.3        |     -- the last words of T. S. Garp.