Re: Difference between a function and an operation

[agate!linus!linus.mitre.org!texas!jclander@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Julian C . Lander)]

In article <PDB7L1R@math.fu-berlin.de>, weberwu@inf.fu-berlin.de (Debora Weber-
Wulff) writes:
|> Could someone either explain the distinction between an operation
|> and a function in Ada or quote chapter and versein the LMR? I understand tha
t
|> '+' and '*' and such are operations, and when I define a
|> function hugo to return a value, then that is a function. But
|> since I can overload '+' with function "+" (....) returns ...
|> they seem the same to me. 
|> Is there a difference, or are they synonymous?
|> -- 
|> Debora Weber-Wulff                       dww@inf.fu-berlin.de
|> Institut fuer Informatik                 +49 30 89691 124
|> Nestorstr. 8-9                           (INCLUDE "standard.disclaimer")
|> D-W-1000 Berlin 31                       (PRINTN (WITTY-MESSAGE TODAY))

You've got it right.  Operations in Ada are functions, which is why
the overloading works.  You can't overload the function "/=", because
that is defined to be the opposite of "=", which can be overloaded.

The operational notation is merely a notational convenience. I
don't remember offhand when you can use it for your own defined
functions, and I'm too lazy to check the LRM.

Julian C. Lander
jclander@mitre.org