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From: Richard D Riehle <laoXhai@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Array of Variant Records Question...
Date: 1999/09/11
Message-ID: <7reg02$t83@dfw-ixnews6.ix.netcom.com>#1/1
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References: <7r5vh3$imu1@svlss.lmms.lmco.com> <37d6a45c@news1.prserv.net>
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X-NETCOM-Date: Sat Sep 11  4:01:54 PM CDT 1999
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Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1999-09-11T16:01:54-05:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

In article <37d822a1@news1.prserv.net>,
	"Matthew Heaney" <matthew_heaney@acm.org> wrote:

>To be able to modify an in-mode subprogram parameter.  Essentially, what
ACT
>did to implement the function Random in GNAT.
>
>(The locution "cast away const" comes from C++.)

One of things I do not like about the current C++ standard is the
kludge that permits "cast away const".  Would not want this in Ada.
However, I do like the stronger model for const that C++ provides 
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.  It seems to me this would be a simple fix to 
const'ness and correspond to the current behavior of a protected
function.  

Richard Riehle
http://www.adaworks.com