Re: Generics and Child Packages

[AdaMagica <christ-usch.grein@t-online.de>]

That's a very good question, and I had once the same problem.

The following is a short explanation of the ideas behind private packages:

package P is ... end P;
private package P.Q is ... end P.Q;

A client of P is meant not to be aware of the existence of P.Q. Now if you make P generic, P.Q becomes generic as well.

generic ... package P is ... end P;
private generic package P.Q is ... end P.Q;

So how could a client instantiating P then also instantiate P.Q if he is meant not to be aware of the existence? The only way a private generic package can be used is by instantiating it in a nonprivate child of P or the body of P.

This is the situation.

I see your problem: You have a hierarchy of packages and for some reason you have to make is generic. This is what I tried once - I do not remember how I solved the problem.

I guess a rule saying a private generic child package can only be instantiated as a private child could perhaps solve the problem. But I'm not aware of the full consequences of such a rule.