[vhdl-200x-ft] VHDL-2005 package changes

(This is the draft of a note we plan to put on "comp.lang.vhdl"
please review)

In the next update to VHDL we are planning several changes and
additions to the standard packages.

One of the things we are planning to do is to move all of
the "read" and "write" procedures to where they are defined.

We have been donated "std_logic_textio", and plan to move all
of the procedures from that package into "std_logic_1164".
We will also provide a blank "std_logic_textio" so that
the name space will be preserved. "numeric_std" will
have "read" and "write" procedures added to it.

This means that the following code:

library ieee;
use ieee.std_logic_1164.all;
use ieee.std_logic_textio.all;
entity
....
architecture
...
write (L, slv5);

will still work because it will now find the "write" procedure
in "std_logic_1164".

HOWEVER, the following will no longer work:

ieee.std_logic_textio.write (L, slv5);

Is this an issue for people?
If you have written your own "read" and "write" routines these
will now cause a conflict with the ones in "std_logic_1164".
Would keeping the packages seperate be better?

Please take a look at:
http://www.eda-twiki.org/vhdl-200x/vhdl-200x-ft
for the 2005 updates page and
http://www.eda-twiki.org/vhdl-200x/vhdl-200x-ft/packages/files.html
for a preliminary copy of the new packages.
(Yes, we can use help debugging this code if you are available)

-- 
David W. Bishop dbishop@vhdl.org       All standard disclaimers apply.