Re: GNAT-2005

["Adam Beneschan" <adam@irvine.com>]

Stephen Leake wrote:
> "rashmi" <rashmi.thoras@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > I have a problem with trying to understand GNAT's working for the
> > following:
> ><snip spec>
>
> > 3. I find that if I delete the first few lines that give specs for
> > FUNC_ScBAVCK or FUNC_ScBAFCk, for which records are parameters, and
> > then compile the package's body (.adb), GNAT does not report that
> > functions are undefined. On the other hand, if I delete a specs line
> > such as that for FUNC_BAVCPRd for which scalars are parameters, GNAT
> > immediately reports "function FUNC_BAVCPRd undefined" when I compile
> > the body.
>
> Without seeing the body, it's impossible to say.
>
> Most likely the bodies of the "scalar functions" are present in the
> package body _before_ the places they are called.

That seems most likely to me, too.

Things have to be declared before they can be used (with few
exceptions).  When you call one of these functions in the body, the
compiler has to have seen it previously---either in the spec, or
earlier in the body.  If you remove the declaration of a function from
the spec, it's still OK to call it IF it is defined in the body before
it's used---but not if it's defined in the body after it's used.  So
that's probably why you're getting errors in some cases but not others.

                             -- Adam