[fpc-pascal] Generic type declaration example versus manual.

[Marco van de Voort]

In our previous episode, Anthony Walter said:
> > Generics were developed in parallel in FPC and in Delphi, and both came up with a different syntax.
> > The incompatibility was there from the start, it wasn't created afterwards.
> 
> I am not trying to be a jerk or anything, but yes, I assure you I read
> your replies.  I say this because you are repeating the same logic  as
> if I hadn't heard it before.

Apparantly it didn't sink in:-)
 
> For your benefit I'll include my a quote myself from last time we went
> down this path.
> 
> Hopefully we can move past the "who did what when" discussion, and
> take up "what makes more sense, and should we try to be compatible"
> discussion.

I think that is a past station. I would move directly to the "who is going
to do it" discussion.

> Forgetting the whole argument about who was actually first, I have to
> ask what difference does it make?

Implementing something once or twice.
 
> Why does doing something first make it written in stone. It seems a
> bit childish to say, "No way, I way here first, I won't budge. You
> move."

Every developer is master of his own time. And it is an hobby for all of us.
And I don't think i have to explain you that implementing something twice is
not fun, specially not if your only motivation is avoiding being called
"childish".

>From past experience, in such cases usually at some point (possibly
considerably later) somebody implements it, typically somebody else, often a
newer developer.

Unfortunately, generics is a quite big feature, much bigger than past ones.

You can rush this by being that implementing developer, or try to motivate
one (e.g. with bounties or employment)

And of course make sure Codegear knows your pain, so that this can be
avoided in the future, by making clear that compatibility and avoiding
breakage with FPC is worth something to their customers. 

It might not work directly, but if they hear it often enough, they might get
more cooperative over time, and communication channels might develop.