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Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!strath-cs!gor
From: gor@cs.strath.ac.uk (Gordon Russell)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: ADA Compiler Query
Message-ID: <5574@baird.cs.strath.ac.uk>
Date: 11 Feb 91 15:41:09 GMT
Sender: gor@cs.strath.ac.uk
Reply-To: gor@cs.strath.ac.uk (Gordon Russell)
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dept., Strathclyde Univ., Scotland.
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


 Hi out there, 
  I am hoping that someone on the network can answer a compiler implementation
problem for me. The problem stems from my PhD research into compiler 
techniques. If we consider the following program extract...


variable1 : integer;

procedure MAIN is
   variable1 : integer;
   result : integer;
----------------------------------------------------
 procedure GET_RESULT(variable2: in out integer) is
  begin
    variable1=2;
    variable2=variable1 + variable2;
  end GET_RESULT;
----------------------------------------------------
 begin
  variable1=10;
  get_result(variable1);
 end MAIN;

My question is.......what is variable1 equal to at the end of MAIN?
There appears to be a number of options....either
   (1) 4
   (2) 12
   (3) Something wierd
   (4) Compiler dependent.

Evidentally, it is reliant on whether GET_RESULT operates on variable2
directly or indirectly. I am hoping that the results are compiler 
dependent. Does anyone have an ADA compiler who is willing to test this?
I am especially interested to hear from official sources (if they are
reading this), since I do not want to break any validation suite
program.

Reply either to this newsgroup or by email. I will post a concensus if
comments are mailed directly to me. Please no flames if this program is
not syntatically correct, as it is the mechanism which I am inquiring 
after. And yes, I do think that this is poor programming practice,
but when has that stopped anyone!

Thanx in advance.....Gordon Russell
                     gor@cs.strath.ac.uk