[sv-ec] Mantis 1330/1742: semantics unclear?

hi EC,

I have a problem with the meaning of some of the rules
about virtual interfaces as modified by Mantis 1330.

The following sentence is somewhat opaque:

  It shall be legal to assign to a virtual interface with 
  a modport selected from an interface instance or virtual 
  interface with no modport selected.

The examples towards the end of 24.9 help a little:

  v16_phy = v16; // legal assignment from no selected
                 // modport to selected modport
  v16 = v16_phy; // illegal assignment from selected modport to
                 // no selected modport

but the semantics of "v16_phy = v16;" are poorly specified -
having made the assignment, is access to "v16_phy.something"
restricted by the modport (as per v16_phy's declaration) or 
is it just an access through the interface (as per the actual
contents of v16_phy, a reference to the whole interface)?
I'm guessing it's the former, by analogy with the semantics
of connecting an interface port and to facilitate compile-time
checking of the legality of accesses.

Finally, the comment seems wrong on this part of the examples:

  v32_phy = p32.phy; // legal assignment from no selected modport to
                 // selected modport

Surely "p32.phy" indeed *has* a selected modport?
-- 
Jonathan Bromley, Consultant

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