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Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!gatech!hubcap!billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu
From: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu (William Thomas Wolfe,2847,)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Parameter Passing
Message-ID: <5824@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Date: 21 Jun 89 17:23:54 GMT
References: <1116@bdmrrr.bdm.com>
Sender: news@hubcap.clemson.edu
Reply-To: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

>From article <1116@bdmrrr.bdm.com>, by jon@bdmrrr.bdm.com (Jon Humphreys):
> I'm currently trying to learn Ada by translating a program written
> in BASIC (my employer's choice, not mine), and I've got a fairly
> fundamental question: when passing parameters from one package
> to another, is it possible to simulate something like a FORTRAN
> common block by placing variables in a package and then 
> using the package whenever I need to access/modify the variables? 

    Sure, it's easy.  Just set up:

      package Global_Variables is

         First_Variable  : First_Variable_Type := Initial_Value;

         Second_Variable : Second_Variable_Type;

         -- etc...

      end Global_Variables;

   Then simply with the package whenever you need it; just remember 
   to qualify all references with the package name, e.g., 

      Global_Variables.First_Variable := whatever...;

   Now as to whether or not this is a good idea, I think *you* already
   know that the application should be redesigned rather than translated
   literally; so just post your boss's e-mail address and we'll...   :-)


   Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu