Re: Problem with generic package

[Adam Beneschan <adambeneschan@gmail.com>]

Sorry, I was a bit hasty with my previous response.  I was looking just at the code you posted here, which wasn't complete information.  On looking at the code at your github site, I think I see what's going on.

The problem is that in this line:

    procedure Exchange is new Swap_Generic (Value_Type => Element_Type);

since you have a Swap_Generic in the same package body, the compiler thinks that's what the name Swap_Generic refers to.  But it looks like you also have a top-level generic procedure Swap_Generic.  I assume that's what the above line was trying to instantiate.

First of all, you need to put "with Swap_Generic;" at the top of Array_Generics.adb; otherwise the top-level generic procedure can never be used. 

Then, since the name of the other non-generic Swap_Generic hides the one you've WITH'ed, you need to say this in order to instantiate the generic Swap_Generic:

    procedure Exchange is new 
        Standard.Swap_Generic (Value_Type => Element_Type);

since all top-level units are children of Standard.  The compiler cannot use "overload resolution" to find the correct Swap_Generic because generics cannot be overloaded with anything.

                                -- Adam