Re: Question about finalization of local object returned from the function

[Brad Moore <bmoore.ada@gmail.com>]

On Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 4:36:38 PM UTC-6, darkestkhan wrote:
> Given a function returning controlled type:
> 
> function Bar return T is
>   Foo : T;
> begin
>   ...
>   return Foo;
> end Bar;
> 
> would Foo be finalized upon end of the function?
> 
> As far as I can understand from the standard - yes, Foo would get finalized. Also if Foo was just a normal record type with controlled components those components would be finalized as well.
> 
> But I am not fully confident that my understanding of this is correct...
> 
> Thanks,
> darkestkhan

Yes Foo is finalized upon end of the function, but not before copying the
object to a temporary result object which is returned to the caller. The temporary is finalized also after being assigned to the result object.
In other words, the expected result is returned to the caller, and the Foo object on the stack is also properly finalized.

Note if the object is a Limited_Controlled type, and the extended return syntax is used, then the result object is said to be "built-in-place" directly into the result variable. The object is not finalized until the result variable is finalized. This allows a function returning a limited type to, for example, initialize a variable of a limited type.

Brad