Re: Limited_Controlled types as 'out' arguments

[Lutz Donnerhacke <lutz@iks-jena.de>]

* Matthew Heaney wrote:
> Controlled types, like all tagged types, are passed by reference.

'out' Parameters can't be read.

> Three objects (a, b, c) are Initialize'd , and the same three objects are
> Finalize'd.
> 
> Which objects do you think aren't being finalized?

Extended example:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
with Ada.Finalization;

package t1 is
   type Char_Access is access Character;
   type Test is new Ada.Finalization.Limited_Controlled with record
      a : Char_Access;
   end record;
   procedure Initialize(o : in out Test);
   procedure Finalize(o : in out Test);
   procedure Copy(to : out Test; from : Test);
end t1;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
with t1;
use t1;

procedure t is
   a, b, c : Test;
begin
   Copy(a, b);
   Copy(a, c);
end t;
------------------------------------------------------------------------
with Ada.Text_IO;
with System.Storage_Elements, System.Address_To_Access_Conversions;
with Unchecked_Deallocation;
use Ada.Text_IO;

package body t1 is
   procedure Debug (msg : String; p : Char_Access) is
      use System.Storage_Elements;
      package Convert is new System.Address_To_Access_Conversions(Character);
   begin
      Put_Line(msg &
        Integer_Address'Image(To_Integer(
            Convert.To_Address(Convert.Object_Pointer(p)))) &
        '(' & p.all & ')');
   end Debug;
   
   global : Character := '0';
   
   procedure Initialize(o : in out Test) is
   begin
      o.a := new Character'(global);
      Debug("Initializing", o.a);
      global := Character'Succ(global);
   end Initialize;
   
   procedure Finalize(o : in out Test) is
      procedure Free is new Unchecked_Deallocation(Character, Char_Access);
   begin
      Debug("Finalizing", o.a);
      Free(o.a);
   end Finalize;
   
   procedure Copy(to : out Test; from : Test) is
   begin
      to.a := new Character'(global);
      Debug("Copying from", from.a);
      Debug("Copying to  ", to.a);
      global := Character'Succ(global);
   end Copy;
end t1;
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Results in a beautiful memory leak:
   Initializing 134630832(0)
   Initializing 134630848(1)
   Initializing 134630864(2)
   Copying from 134630848(1)
   Copying to   134630880(3)
   Copying from 134630864(2)
   Copying to   134630896(4)
   Finalizing 134630864(2)
   Finalizing 134630848(1)
   Finalizing 134630896(4)

134630832 and 134630880 are never freed.