Re: Reprise: 'in out' parameters for functions

["Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com>]

"Georg Bauhaus" <sb463ba@l1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de> wrote in message
news:c546fd$lkb$3@a1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de...
> Stephen Leake <stephen_leake@acm.org> wrote:
>
> :   Token       : in out Token_List.List_Iterator)
> Is
>     Token       : access Token_List.List_Iterator)
> not an option?

It's rarely an option, because it (a) forces a particular declaration
('aliased') on users that have no need to know and (b) makes a messy call
with the need to use '[Unchecked_]Access in every call.

I prefer to simply make the List_Iterator a type that internally contains
indirection. (That usually requires it to be a controlled type). Then the
actual data can be manipulated.

But whether that solution is worth the extra work depends on how much the
interface is going to be used. (It isn't worth the effort for a rarely used
interface.)

                 Randy.