[J3] SYSTEM_CLOCK

[Richard Bleikamp]

Just a few minor nits, and a preference for REAL type count_rate:

In the Edits, change "shall all have the same kind" to "shall all have 
the same kind type parameter" everywhere it occurs.

Line 15, change "Was it intend" to "Was it intended".

Line 48, change "integer argument" to "integer arguments".

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For when COUNT_RATE is real, I'd prefer something other than processor 
dependent.

It seems to me, the main reason for a REAL clock_rate is to accommodate 
a non-integral clock_rate, such as 200.4 ticks per second, and NOT 
because we expect clock_rates like 1.0E25.  If we did expect very large 
clock_rates, we should have allowed REALs for the other arguments also, 
and we didn't.

Therefore, I would prefer that the clock selected when only CLOCK_RATE 
is present and of type REAL to be the clock that would be selected if an 
integer actual argument of the same "size" were used.   So a default 
REAL would use the same clock a default INTEGER clock_rate argument 
would use.  Not sure how to describe a size for non-default types though 
("unspecified storage unit" is not a helpful concept).  We should 
probably prohibit REAL kinds that are smaller than a default REAL (in 
case we add a BFLOAT (16 bit real) type in the future, and when the REAL 
kind is larger than any available INTEGER kind, use the clock the 
largest integer kind would use.   Yes, this is all somewhat arbitrary, 
but also very uncommon, and perhaps not worth worrying about.

Rich

On 1/28/21 7:30 AM, John Reid via J3 wrote:
> [CAUTION: External Email]
>
> Dear all,
>
> Here is a draft interp. Comments, please.
>
> John.