Re: Dynamic allocation in the predefined language environment

[Bob Duff <bobduff@theworld.com>]

Matthias-Christian Ott <ott@mirix.org> writes:

> Then to finish this discussion: If it is required to raise
> Storage_Error, then it should be in the standard.

It is in the standard.  See 11.1(6):

6   The execution of any construct raises Storage_Error if there is
insufficient storage for that execution. The amount of storage needed for the
execution of constructs is unspecified.

>... There are only a
> handful of Ada compilers which most likely all raise Storage_Error but I
> think the history of C shows that if there is an ambiguity in the
> standard, both compiler writers and software developers will interpret
> it differently, so that both different compilers and the assumptions of
> software developers about these compilers will differ.

Yes, all true, but 11.1(6) seems pretty unambiguous to me.

Actually handling Storage_Error can be tricky, though.  For one thing,
in theory, the handler itself could raise Storage_Error, defeating the
purpose.  More importantly, since Storage_Error can be raised by
anything, it is essentially asynchronous with the rest of the program,
so can leave data structures in a corrupted state.

- Bob