[sv-bc] Name resolution - questions and issues review

All,

Francoise asked for a summary of some of the name resolution
issues.  I don't want to try to capture all of the issues
here since at least the very contentious issues were discussed
exhaustively on the reflector.

Here are some of the more basic issues that need clarification:
   1) how "static" is :: ?   Can you have "::" on a forward type?
   2) how package like is $unit?  Are later declarations visible?
      Is it even possible (as with a hierarchical reference in
      a module) to create a forward reference?
   3) we need to agree on a statement regarding "declaration before
      use" to make things more explicit and explain exactly how
      exceptions (functions, etc) work.
   4) when does a dotted name become a select versus a hierarchical
      name?  Can you forward reference a struct variable member
      just because the reference contains a dot?
   5) Is a clocking blocks a scope?  If so, does that imply that all
      "cb.a" forms are inherently hierarchical and always bind using
      the hierarchical resolution rules?
   6) we need to discuss forward visibility in non-opaque classes
   7) management of $unit and package lookup during hierarchical
      name resolution
   8) handling of package imports for bind
   9) basic discussion of issues related to modports

There are certainly more issues here, but the above is probably a
fair sampling of issues for which the LRM should be much more clear.


Here are some links to relevant reflector discussion between Mark and I:
    () Gord's  very early (incomplete, etc) algorithm for
       basic resolution in June, 2006:
           http://www.eda-stds.org/sv-bc/hm/4623.html
    () a later form of Gord's basic approach in more of a rule form
           http://www.eda-stds.org/sv-ec/hm/4346.html
    () Mark's basic approach to name resolution
           http://www.eda-stds.org/sv-bc/hm/6472.html
    () a summary related to how type parameters interact
           http://www.eda-stds.org/sv-bc/hm/6567.html
    () a summary of some of the issues related to type referencing
           http://www.eda-stds.org/sv-bc/hm/6667.html

There are many other issues and examples floating about.  Here
are a few that Mark and I have raised very early on.  I'd have
to re-evaluate where we both are on all of these.
      http://www.eda-stds.org/sv-bc/hm/6017.html
      http://www.eda-stds.org/sv-bc/hm/6029.html


I am working on a powerpoint agenda for Monday and am planning on
including the 9 basic issues above as well as a shorter
summary of the long back-and-forth that Mark and I have had.

If anyone has substantial questions that don't appear to be
covered in 1-9, please let me know and I'll add them to my
questions and issues list.


Gord.
-- 
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Gordon Vreugdenhil                                503-685-0808
Model Technology (Mentor Graphics)                gordonv@model.com


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