[sv-champions] Minutes of conference call held May 21, 2009

From: Neil Korpusik <Neil.Korpusik_at_.....>
Date: Thu May 21 2009 - 18:27:13 PDT
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   Champions  May 21, 2008  Conference call
	    Thursday 8-10am PDT

Attendees:
----------
1. * Stu Sutherland
2. * Brad Pierce
3. * Francoise Martinolle
4. * Shalom Bresticker
5. * John Havlicek
6. * Dave Rich
7. * Neil Korpusik
8. * Karen Pieper

1. Patent policy

   http://standards.ieee.org/board/pat/pat-slideset.ppt
   The chair directed everyone's attention to the patent policy.

2. Review of the results of the email vote that ended on May 21st

   Email ballots were received from the following Champions. Feedback that they
   had for various proposals has been merged into these minutes. 

      Brad 
      John
      Shalom    (up through item 25 from a list of 53 items)
      Francoise


2.1  2739  SV-BC Ballot comment 125: 
            Conflict in strength number/name; 5 is not large

    - Fixed 
    - On May 11, 2009 the SV-BC unanimously approved the attached proposal.

    Passed by email vote ending May 21, 2009(4y).


2.2  2738  SV-EC Ballot comment #115 
            Automatic bin creation for coverage points (up to N-1)
  
    - Fixed
    - The SV-EC voted to unanimously accept the following change.
      This was agreed to in the conference call held on May 4th, 2009.
     
	remove "(up to N-1)" (page 485)

    From John - no - I see no difference in the BEFORE and AFTER of the proposal

    Neil  - I have the same problem. Tom Alsop took an action item to provide 
	    a pdf file. 


      Brad, Stu - move to approve the proposal for Mantis 2738, 
		  contingent upon getting a pdf file for the changes.
      Passed unanimously


2.3 2737  SV-EC Ballot Comment #54: 
            restricting access of local paramters inside a class
  
    - open
    - The following resolution was approved by the SV-EC in the email vote
      which ended on May 1st.

      "The committee read and considered this feedback. The committee believes it
      is too broad for the scope of the draft to implement at this time but may
      be considered for future revisions."

      Passed by email vote ending May 21, 2009(4y).


2.4 2735  SV-EC Ballot Comment #48: Chaining of method calls

   - open
   - The following resolution was approved by the SV-EC in the email vote
     which ended on May 1st.
    
     "The committee read and considered this feedback. The committee believes it
     is too broad for the scope of the draft to implement at this time but may
     be considered for future revisions."

   - From Shalom - abstain - I would like to see Brad's reservations discussed.
   - From Brad   - no

     I think chaining of method calls is already legal

     Because the BNF has long accepted method call chaining and there seems to 
     be no prohibition on it in the text, I believe it's allowed unless the 
     committee adds an explicit deprecation.  The proposed resolution is not 
     accurate.

     For completeness, 
     here's an example BNF derivation of obj.method1(5).method2(6)

     expression ::= primary
	       ::= function_subroutine_call
	       ::= subroutine_call
	       ::= method_call
	       ::= method_call_root . method_call_body
	       ::= primary . method_identifier ( list_of_arguments )
	       ::= function_subroutine_call . method2(6)
	       ::= subroutine_call . method2(6)
	       ::= method_call . method2(6)
	       ::= method_call_root . method_call_body . method2(6)
	       ::= primary . method_identifier ( list_of_arguments ) . method2(6)
	       ::= obj . method1(5) . method2(6)


    Brad   - now ok with the resolution of open.
    Shalom - that would leave an ambiguity in the LRM.
    Dave   - thinks there is no ambguity in syntax and behavior.


      Brad, dave - move to approve the resolution of open for Mantis 2735
      Abstain - shalom - someone thought it was not allowed.
      Passed with one abstain.

   
<next 4 passed - by email vote>

2.5 2730  SV-EC Ballot comment 114: State bins has not been defined before
   - fixed
   - The proposal was unanimously approved by the sv-ec in
     the conference call held on May 11th, 2009.
2.6 2729  SV-EC Ballot comments 30 and 31: 
          Ambiguity regarding valid data types to packed structures/unions
2.7 2724  SV-EC Ballot Comment #51 Clarification of super.new statement in 8.14
2.8 2723  SV-EC Ballot comment #65 
          class decls must be in the same scope as the forward

    2.5-2.8 Passed by email vote ending May 21, 2009(4y).


2.9 2718  SV-EC Ballot comment #102 dist_item occurs twice in Syntax 18-3

 
    From John - no - I don't understand Shalom's note that the proposal does 
		     not fix the constraint_block error.

    Shalom - his objection is no longer relevant.


      Dave, John - move to approve the proposal for Mantis 2718
      Passed unanimously


2.10 2712  SV-EC Ballot comment #116 19.5.6 
            Value resolution needs to clarify rules in context of wildcard bins
   
    From John - abstained - It seems that "cannot apply to wildcard bins" 
		should be changed to "shall not apply to wildcard bins".

    From Francoise - abstained - with no reason given

    Shalom - the existing wording is ok


      John, Shalom - move to approve the proposal for Mantis 2712
      Passed unanimously


<next 10 passed by email vote>

2.11 2700  SV-EC Ballot feedback items 36-40: type rules for strings
2.12 2698  SV-EC Ballot comment #57: pure keyword SHALL be required
2.13 2691  SV-BC Ballot comment #76: suspension of function execution
2.14 2689  SV-BC Ballot comment #73: x in case expressions
2.15 2688  SV-BC Ballot comment #72: unique-if and x/z values
2.16 2687  SV-BC Ballot comment #70: expression bit-length enhancements
2.17 2686  SV-BC Ballot comment #69: 
           Bit/Part-select errors should be reported uniformly.
2.18 2684  SV-BC Ballot comment #68: Non-constant width part-select enhancement
2.19 2681  SV-EC Ballot comment #41: Bad associative array example
2.20 2679  SV-BC Ballot comment #29: static casting

   2.11-2.20 Passed by email vote ending on May 21, 2009(4y).


2.21 2674  SV-BC Ballot Comment #123: Incorrect syntax for $fopen in 21.3.1

    - From Shalom - no 

      To be consistent with the rest of Clause 21, 'filename' should be in 
      italics.
   

      Dave, Shalom - move to approve the proposal for Mantis 2674, with the
		     friendly ammendment from Shalom.
      Passed unanimously


2.22 2673  SV-BC Ballot comment #26: Deprecate defparams

    Resolution of suspended

       6.20 says,

       "NOTE: The defparam statement might be removed from future versions of 
	      the language."

       Yes, please do remove it.


    From Francoise - no 
       I believe that we should also add a statement saying that defparams is 
       not enhanced for parameters of the new systemVerilog datatypes. That will 
       discourage users to use defparams.  


 Francoise - no statement in LRM stating that defparams don't apply to data 
	     types that were added by SystemVerilog.
           - C.4.1 discusses Defparam statements
	   - there is no limitation today.
    Shalom - it won't be easy to do something now. 
    Neil   - there is no proposal
 Francoise - we assumed it would be deprecated, it is still there.
    Shalom - doesn't agree that it would be deprecated.
	   - it isn't even clear what the word deprecated means.
 Francoise - if used on any data type, will be harder to deprecate later. 
	   - wants to say defparam is not enhanced by the SystemVerilog standard.
    Shalom - even that would be unclear. 
 Francoise - if a defparam was legal in 1364, still legal in SystemVerilog
	     what wasn't legal then, is not legal now either. 
    Shalom - not sure that is correct. 
 Francoise - defparam of a string is allowed?
    Shalom - did not say that.
	   - not willing at this time to agree, without more extensive 
	     investigation.
    Neil   - "the intent was to not extend it beyond 1364."
    Shalom - what about int?

   
      Shalom, Dave  - move to approve resolution of suspended for 2673
      Abstain - Francoise
      Opposed - Stu     - Francoise raises a serious issue about defparams on 
			  systemverilog data types. 
      Passed with 4 in favor


2.23 2671  SV-BC Ballot Comment #127 Deprecate or discourage use of `define

      Passed by email vote which ended on May 21, 2009(4y).


2.24 2645  SV-CC Ballot comment #154 
          Properties returning DPI information on task/function declaration 
          are missing

   - From Shalom - no 

     In Detail (f): 
     "f) vpiAccessType shall return vpiDPIExportAcc for "DPI", and "DPI-C" 
	 export functions / tasks, and shall return vpiDPIImportAcc for "DPI" 
	 and "DPI-C" import functions / tasks," there should be no comma after 
	 the first "DPI".

     In Detail (g):
     "g) vpiDPIPure shall return TRUE for pure "DPI", and "DPI-C" import 
	 functions," there should be no comma after "DPI".

     In Detail (h):
     "h) vpiDPIContext shall return TRUE for context import "DPI" and "DPI-C", 
	 functions / tasks," there should be no comma after "DPI-C".
  
    Stu    - thought DPI string was deprecated 
	   - but it isn't in annex C
	   - text in section 35, refers to that string as being deprecated.
    Shalom - mentioned that in mantis item on deprecation inconsistencies.
           - 35.5.4 - there is a proposal to change from error to error or 
	     warning. 
           - just a compile time warning means it can pass compilation.
    Stu    - looks like DPI was not fully deprecated. 
	   - in that case it looks ok


      Shalom, Stu - move to approve the proposal for Mantis 2645 
		    with the friendly amendments from Shalom.
      Passed unanimously


2.25 2641  SV-CC Ballot comment #150 
          Formal argument types for import /export subroutines should include 
          time and integer
   
      Passed by email vote which ended on May 21, 2009 (4y).


<Dave dropped off at this point>

Email vote - to end next Wednesday at noon.
Neil - copy john directly (he hasn't been getting all the champions email)


<the next 9 will be added to the email vote ending on May 27th, 2009>

2.26 2640  SV-CC Ballot comment #149 
           Using the string "DPI" should result in a compile time warning
2.27 2639  SV-CC Ballot comment #148 
            Simplify definition of import/export call chains.
    Shalom - this is a complex change.
2.28 2638  SV-CC Ballot comment #147 
           no explicit behavior of a call to a DPI export subroutine
2.29 2636  SV-CC Ballot comment #145 
           contradition for return value of imported tasks
2.30 2635  SV-CC Ballot comment #144 tasks consuming time contradiction in LRM
2.31 2624  SV-CC Ballot comment #160 
	   Diagram has a blue arrow that should be black
2.32 2611  SV-BC Resolution of names containing ::
2.33 2610  SV-BC Name resolution in presence of type parameters needs to 
           be clarified
2.34 2597  SV-EC Ballot comment #49 
           When do class property initializers execute in relation with the 
           constructor call


2.35 2593  SV-BC Omitting types in port declaration

   fixed

    - From John - no 

      I think that the committee needs to come to a broader consensus when more 
      time is available.  I don't see much value in the current proposal, and 
      it might be contradicted by a future proposal with broader support.

    - From Brad - no

      I opened this issue, and I'm not fully satisfied with the proposal, even 
      though I voted for it in SV-BC.  If it had been passed unanimously, or 
      nearly so, then I would say "good enough is good enough", but actually 
      the proposal barely passed.  Even given a moderate amount of additional 
      time, I don't think SV-BC could come up with a proposal that would pass 
      almost unanimously.
   
    Neil   - leave it unchanged?


      Brad, John - move to reject the proposal for Mantis 2593
      Shalom - I am afraid that the change will be misinterpreted by 
	       someone reading the LRM than what was intended. The word data
	       type in that section of the LRM is ambiguous.
      Passed unanimously


<the next 3 will be added to the email vote ending on May 27th, 2009>

2.36 2588  SV-CC Omission of package as a legal context in which DPI imports can 
           be declared
2.37 2580  SV-BC %p should allow radix specification
2.38 2568  SV-BC unpacked array terminology unclear in $readmem $writemem
  


2.39 2514  SV-EC Ballot comment #182 External constraint blocks not defined well

    From Francoise  - no   

      Comment: It seems to me that the rule below does not support and is not 
      consistent with class inheritance, since it says that the pure constraint 
      in the derived class is ignored and always replaced with the base pure 
      constraint.  This is inconsistent with the way class properties which 
      appear in both base and derived classes work. Why?

      "A virtual class that inherits a pure constraint from its superclass may 
      have a pure constraint of the same name. In this case, the pure constraint 
      in the derived virtual class shall be ignored and a warning may be issued. 
      The superclass's pure constraint shall be inherited as if the duplicate 
      in the derived class were not present."

Francoise - The one in the derrived class usually hides the one in the base. 
          - didn't realize this in the svec meeting when it was discussed.
	    18.5.2, p2, 2nd blue para
	    18.5.2, p1, 2nd blue para - is a bit different (not virtual 
					 derrived class)
  John    - if that paragraph was changed for the virtual derrived class case, 
            would there be any difference in the behavior?
Francoise - why do we want to have a different mechanism when the derrived
            is virtual?
  John    - is there any difference by discarding the base version versus the 
            derrived one?
Francoise - if the body is missing, which one should the tool point to?
  Stu     - what is the rule for pure methods?
Francoise - 8.10 - may be overridden, and no warning.
  Neil    - it sounds inconsistent.
  John    - it sounds like there is an effect


      Stu, Francoise - move to reject the proposal for Mantis  2514
               - it shoudl follow the same rules as pure virtual methods. 
                 when a derrived class has pure constraint of the same name.
           FM  - it needs to be more consistent with normal class inheritance.
      Passed unanimously


<the next 10 will be added to the email vote ending on May 27th, 2009>

2.40 2510  SV-EC Ballot comment #183 
           Allowed types for clocking signal is too restrictive
2.41 2501  SV-BC implication operator (->) should short-circuit and equivalence 
            operator (<->) should evaluate operands only once
2.42 2486  SV-AC Scope of Annex F definition of "specify" is not clear.
2.43 2477  SV-BC How are values of enumeration constants calculated?
2.44 2468  SV-CC vpiStartLine vpiColumn vpiEndLine vpiEndColumn 
           assertion properties all undefined in include file
2.45 2427  SV-CC vpiEdge, vpiDirection should be int, not bool
2.46 2342  SV-EC Class constructor should not be allowed to be static or 
           virtual (p1800-2009 ballot id 185)
2.47 2288  SV-EC Ballot comment #186 Re: Associative array next() & prev()
2.48 1791  SV-BC atoi(), atohex(), atooct(), atobin() should warn about 
	   truncation
2.49 1651  SV-BC $psprintf


2.50 1256  SV-EC Minor problems in description of Linked Lists (Annex H) 
          [p1800-2009 ballot comment id 192]

    - From Brad - no

      Would change my vote to 'yes' if the Editor would agree to change 'P1800' 
      to '1800' and remove the space in "1800- 2005".
   
    Stu    -  the IEEE will take out the p. We are suppose to leave it in there.


      Brad, Shalom - move to approve the proposal for Mantis 1256,
		     with the extra space out and the p left in.
      Passed unanimously


<the next 3 will be added to the email vote ending on May 27th, 2009>

2.51 2621   sv-cc

   The following concern was noted by the Champions. In the May 14th conference
   call the Champions unanimously agreed to send the proposal back to the
   committee for review to make sure that the following was noted by the
   committee and that they still believe that the proposal is consistent with
   the rest of the text in the LRM.

       The proposal says,
    
       "If the vpiSize of the vpiReturn variable is defined (see 37.17, detail 9)
	and can be determined without evaluating the function (see 37.3.5),
	vpiSize for the function shall return the same value as vpiSize for the
	vpiReturn variable... For all other cases the behavior of vpiSize is
	undefined."
    
       37.3.5 talks specifically about evaluating functions with side effects,
       not about function evaluation without side effects.
    
       Is this consistent?
    
       37.3.5 only talks about functions with side effects.
       The other text is unconditional.
   

2.52 2637   sv-cc

   In the May 14th conference call the Champions noted that the proposal
   doesn't make any updates to the subclause that was mentioned in the ballot
   feedback. There were some changes made in the same general area, but not the
   specific changes mentioned by the ballot feedback.

       The ballot comment specifically referenced subclause 35.5.1.3, where 
       there are 2 references to PLI. The proposal does not fix this subclause.
   
2.53 2654   sv-ac -- the Framemaker files were created for the Editor

      The proposal failed to pass in the Champions email vote that ended on
      May 14th, 2009. The Champions noted that the Editor will require new
      diagrams from the committee. A Framemaker source file for this change to
      the diagram would be best. The current format for these diagrams cannot be
      Edited and need to be redone.
   
Shalom - the revotes from cc 51, 52, he is ok with the changes now. 
Received on Thu May 21 18:30:00 2009

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