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From: dan.r.mcleran@seagate.com (Dan McLeran)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Pass by reference
Date: 8 Apr 2004 07:52:04 -0700
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Date: 2004-04-08T07:52:04-07:00
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I am investigating using Ada for a project at work and I have a
question I hope someone can answer. If I am interpreting the RM
section 6.2 correctly, an array of elementary types does not meet the
criteria of a by-reference type. But, when looking at the disassembly,
it seems that passing an array of elementary types to a function as an
in-mode parameter is passing by reference. Does this mean that an
array of elementary types is an unspecfied type?

A 2nd part to my question is: Does Ada automatically pass tagged types
by reference no matter what mode the parameter is specfied (in, in
out, or out)? The language RM 6.2 seems to suggest this is so. If so,
does this mean that there is no way to pass a tagged type by value? I
believe C# works this way without programmer intervention.

I am using Aonix's ObjectAda V7.2.2, by the way. I have not tried GNAT
for comparison.

Thanks,

Dan McLeran