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From: "Nasser M. Abbasi" <nma@12000.org>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: on the need to duplicate code for procedure signature in both body
 and interface files
Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2012 18:08:53 -0500
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Date: 2012-07-07T18:08:53-05:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

Basic question from an Ada newbie.

One thing that always bothered me in Ada is the need
to physically duplicate the code that represents the API
of the package procedures and functions in both the interface
and the body files (.ads and .adb).

I do not like duplicating code at all. Even if it is only
for the signature of the API, and even though the Ada
compiler will catch any difference (assuming one changes
the .ads and forget to update the .adb for example).

Was there no other alternatives to avoid this situation
when Ada was originally designed in order to keep the same
good concept of separating the interface from the body, but
somehow at the same time, eliminate the need to duplicate by
hand the API definition code in 2 separate places?

I am using GNAT. I Assume this is the same in other Ada
implementations.

thanks,
--Nasser