Re: generic imports? void* -> generics?

[Simon Wright <simon@pushface.org>]

"Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com> writes:

> I would consider providing both.

Yes ..

>                                  This will be hard to use, because you have
> to declare an aliased, unconstrained buffer to be able to match the
> discriminant.
> 
>          Buf : aliased Stream_Element_Array (1..10);
> 
> won't work.

Yes ..

   Buf : aliased Stream_Element_Array := (1 .. 10 => 0);

means you end up writing to the darn thing anyway. GNAT users can take
their lives in their hands & used 'Unrestricted_Access on a
non-aliased object, of course.

> > I ask because (in another package) I had a Controlled type with a
> > visible Initialize and someone mistakenly called it .. I know they
> > could have done anyway, but its being there in the public part of
> > the package tempted them.
> 
> It's best if the abstraction can withstand extra calls to Initialize
> and Adjust; it has to withstand extra calls to Finalize (as they can
> happen in abort situations).

I can see the Initialize -- not so sure how you could tell about extra
Adjusts?