[sv-bc] DataTypes: 11/11/04 Meeting Minutes II

                    11/11/04 Meeting Minutes (12:00 pm PST)

Attendees:

    Mark Hartoog
    Kathy McKinley
    Brad Pierce
    Steven Sharp
    Stuart Sutherland

Summary:

The picture is helpful, and will be included in the informative
introduction to the proposal. However, the "constant" box in
the set of "Data Objects" will be removed since it is a category
rather than a specific kind of object. This picture represents
different characteristics of a data object, it does not imply
any syntax rules. So, for example, an attribute has a data type,
even though you do not declare it with one.

It is unfortunate that "variable" is the only kind of data object
that does not have special syntax associated with it. Most have
keywords (e.g. "parameter"); an attribute has the (* ... *) syntax.
The keyword "var" is reserved by SystemVerilog, and the idea of
formally adding it to the syntax has received support in the past.
For example:

    var logic my_variable; // another way to say "logic my_variable;"

In addition to making the data object/data type relationship clearer
in the documentation, adding "var" would allow a user to make the desire
for a variable explicit in situations where the rules may be confusing
(like in port declarations). We unanimously approved the motion to pursue
extending the syntax to allow "var", and for putting it on the agenda
for the next Thursday meeting.

We approved Steven's latest version of the changes for section 18.

Brad will send Kathy new wording for section 7.16 (that incorporates
the change from erratum 254), to be put in our proposal.

We decided that the proposed changes in Annexes E, F, and I should
be handled by the CC group, not the BC group. Kathy will forward them
to the chair. Both Mark Hartoog and Steve Dovich have looked at the VPI
extensions needed for new data types on nets, and feel that the changes
required are small (basically a modification to the object diagram
for nets). The VPI changes also belong in the CC group.

We approved new glossary entries for "data object" and "data type".
We approved minor changes to the glossary entries of "Aggregate",
"Bit-stream", "Dynamic", "Enumerated type", "Integral", and "Singular".

Kathy will put all of the proposed changes and the introductory matter
into a text file and mail it out for review right after the meeting.
Once the people at this second meeting agree that the changes have
all been made correctly and are complete, she will pull it into MSWord
along with the modified picture. Stu will turn it into PDF, and the
proposal will be sent to the BC/EC/CC/AC chairs so that they can
distribute it to the members of their respective groups.

Our next meeting is Thursday, Nov. 18 at 8:30 am PST.
Received on Mon Nov 15 09:42:05 2004