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From: Mats Weber <Mats.Weber@elca-matrix.ch>
Subject: Re: win32ada design question/problem
Date: 1998/11/19
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Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1998-11-19T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

David Botton wrote:

> Why wouldn't you use:
> 
> function C_Function ( X : C.char_array ) returns C.Int;
> -- int c_function ( char* x);
> 
> pragma Import (C, C_Function);
> 
> From my understanding it will be passed by_referrence, ie. as a char *
> [...]

That is, of course, a good idea (using Ada 95's C interface stuff),
which its guaranteed to be portable. But that is not the approach taken
for the win32ada binding, which tried its own, IMO bad, way.

The problem with Interfaces.C.Char is that it is not the same as
Standard.Character, and Char_Array is not String, so you will have to
convert all the time, despite the fact that Char = Character on 99.99%
of all platforms. A pity IMO.