Re: Ada array vs C pointer (call by reference)

["Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com>]

"Keith Thompson" <kst-u@mib.org> wrote in message 
news:lzzlp6amdv.fsf@stalkings.ghoti.net...
> Maciej Sobczak <see.my.homepage@gmail.com> writes:
...
>> Is there any implementation where Interfaces.C.int has different
>> properties than Integer?
>
> I don't know, and I suggest that you don't know either.

I do! I do! ;-)

On Janus/Ada, Integer is always 16-bit (for compatibility with our original 
implementations), but Interfaces.C.Int is whatever the C compiler uses (for 
most targets, including Windows, that's 32-bit).

If you use Interfaces.C and pragma Convention as intended, your interfacing 
code ought to be portable - at least with the supported C compiler(s) (and 
you have a bug to report if it is not). If you use Integer or Float, you're 
adding portability issues where none are needed.

Indeed, IMHO any code explicitly using the predefined types is wrong in Ada 
(vis-a-vis portability). And yes, I include the various items in the 
standard language that do that (including the random number generator and of 
course type String). It's one of the worst flaws in the language (since it 
makes string usage not portable, which is idiotic).

                                     Randy.