Re: access types and dispatching subprograms

[bobduff@world.std.com (Robert A Duff)]

In article <4qjqre$44lo@news-s01.ny.us.ibm.net>,  <kbrun@ibm.net> wrote:
>   procedure disp(p: T_p);

You want "p: access T" here.  Access parameters, which are of an
anonymous access type, allow dispatching.  A named access type, such as
T_p, does not.

>   procedure disp(p: T1_p);

And "p: access T1" here.

>   procedure do_dispatch is
>      classp: TC_p := new T1;
>   begin
>      disp(classp);	-- this call won't dispatch, instead it causes
>                        -- a compiler error. what's wrong?

With the above changes, this will dispatch.

The reason you get a compile-time error is because we tried to set up
the rules so that if you *think* you are calling a dispatching
operation, but you are not, you will get a compile-time error if you
call it in a dispatching way.  As opposed to doing the unexpected thing
at run time.  This case is one example of that.

- Bob