Re: How do package body initializers get run in GNU Ada?

[Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org>]

Van Snyder wrote:
> 
> In GNU Ada, what mechanism is used to cause execution of package
> body initializers, i.e., the code between begin and end in a
> package body?

You can find the answer to your question by reading the GNAT sources.

> 
> Is it done using some kind of back-patching/overlaying done
> by an otherwise garden-variety ld, by special features added
> to ld to support Ada, by first-time flags at the entries
> to procedures, or by something else?

You will find that the binding process (gnatbind) builds the main 
program, which makes a call or calls to execute such code before calling 
your main procedure. By reading the secret GNAT documentation you can 
find the option that keeps the source of this main program instead of 
deleting it after the executable is written. You could then look at the 
main program and see what it calls to effect elaboration.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"I fart in your general direction."
Monty Python & the Holy Grail