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From: Mark Lundquist <mark@rational.com>
Subject: Re: Array of Variant Records Question...
Date: 1999/09/14
Message-ID: <37DE8D09.C863CBC9@rational.com>#1/1
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Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1999-09-14T00:00:00+00:00
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Richard D Riehle wrote:

> <...>

> However, I do like the stronger model for const that C++ provides

Me too... (cf. the posts discussing Matt's proposed "access
constant" parameters)

> and would like to see constant functions in the next version of
> Ada.  For example,
>
>       constant function (X : access Item) return T:
>
> or even
>
>      function (X : constant Item) return T;
>
> where X, in both cases, can be an access to object or access type
> for a function and disallows any side-effects on the components of
> the parameter.

Sorry, I'm not following at all.  What are these supposed to mean?  Did you
leave out the identifier by mistake?

Certainly the idea of a C++ -like "const function" is nonsensical for Ada.
The meaning and necessity of C++'s const functions are intrisically linked
to the idea of "member functions" and distinguished-receiver syntax, which
we fortunately don't have in Ada.  So you can't mean that...

In a sense, "const functions" in C++ are one of the workarounds for
class-oriented OO...