Re: user-defined type conversion

["martin.m.dowie" <martin.m.dowie@ntlworld.com>]

"Russ" <18k11tm001@sneakemail.com> wrote in message
news:bebbba07.0205182344.3602f20a@posting.google.com...
> I am experimenting with a simple type system for physical units.
> Suppose, for example, I have types for inches and feet, and I wish to
> write an explicit conversion:
>
> type inches is new float;
> type feet is new float;
>
> function inches ( arg: feet ) return inches is
>     begin
>     return inches ( 12.0 * float(feet) );
>     end inches;
>
> The problem is that I am not allowed to use the name inches for the
> conversion function because it is already used for the type name. It
> seems that the name should be overloadable for both the type and the
> conversion function. Is there any way around this?

Common approaches I've seen over the years are:

1. Change the name of the function to "To_Inches"
2. Change the type name to "An_Inch" or "Inches_Type"