6.4.1 Parameter Associations
A parameter association defines
the association between an actual parameter and a formal parameter.
Name Resolution Rules
If the mode is
in, the actual is interpreted
as an
expression;
otherwise, the actual is interpreted only as a
name,
if possible.
Legality Rules
If the mode is
in out or
out, the actual
shall be a
name
that denotes a variable.
If the mode is out, the actual parameter
is a view conversion, and the type of the formal parameter is an access
type or a scalar type that has the Default_Value aspect specified, then
there shall exist a type (other than a root numeric
type) that is an ancestor of both the target type and the operand type;
and
in the case of a scalar type, the type of the operand
of the conversion shall have the Default_Value aspect specified.
In addition to the places where
Legality Rules normally apply (see
12.3),
these rules also apply in the private part of an instance of a generic
unit.
If the formal parameter
is an explicitly aliased parameter, the type of the actual parameter
shall be tagged or the actual parameter shall be an aliased view of an
object. Further, if the formal parameter subtype F is untagged:
the subtype F shall statically match the
nominal subtype of the actual object; or
the subtype F shall be unconstrained, discriminated
in its full view, and unconstrained in any partial view.
In addition to the places where
Legality Rules normally apply (see
12.3),
these rules also apply in the private part of an instance of a generic
unit.
In a function call, the accessibility level of the
actual object for each explicitly aliased parameter shall not be statically
deeper than the accessibility level of the master of the call (see
3.10.2).
Two
names
are
known to denote the same object if:
both
names
statically denote the same stand-alone object or parameter; or
both
names
are dereferences (implicit or explicit) and the dereferenced
names
are known to denote the same object; or
both
names
are
indexed_components,
their
prefixes
are known to denote the same object, and each of the pairs of corresponding
index values are either both static expressions with the same static
value or both
names
that are known to denote the same object; or
both
names
are
slices,
their
prefixes
are known to denote the same object, and the two
slices
have statically matching index constraints; or
one of the two
names
statically denotes a renaming declaration whose renamed
object_name
is known to denote the same object as the other, the
prefix
of any dereference within the renamed
object_name
is not a variable, and any
expression
within the renamed
object_name
contains no references to variables nor calls on nonstatic functions.
Two
names
are
known to refer to the same object if
The two
names
are known to denote the same object; or
One of the two
names
statically denotes a renaming declaration whose renamed
object_name
is known to refer to the same object as the other
name.
If a call C
has two or more parameters of mode in out or out that are
of an elementary type, then the call is legal only if:
For each
name
N that is passed as a parameter of mode
in out or
out
to the call
C, there is no other
name
among the other parameters of mode
in out or
out to
C
that is known to denote the same object.
If a construct
C
has two or more direct constituents that are
names
or
expressions
whose evaluation may occur in an arbitrary order, at least one of which
contains a function call with an
in out or
out parameter,
then the construct is legal only if:
For each name
N that is passed as a parameter
of mode
in out or
out to some inner function call
C2
(not including the construct
C itself), there is no other
name
anywhere within a direct constituent of the construct
C other
than the one containing
C2, that is known to refer to the same
object.
For the purposes
of checking this rule:
For a call, any
default_expression
evaluated as part of the call is considered part of the call.
Dynamic Semantics
The actual parameter is first evaluated.
For an access parameter, the
access_definition
is elaborated, which creates the anonymous access type.
For a parameter (of any mode) that is passed by
reference (see
6.2), a view conversion of the
actual parameter to the nominal subtype of the formal parameter is evaluated,
and the formal parameter denotes that conversion.
For an
in or
in out
parameter that is passed by copy (see
6.2),
the formal parameter object is created, and the value of the actual parameter
is converted to the nominal subtype of the formal parameter and assigned
to the formal.
For an out
parameter that is passed by copy, the formal parameter object is created,
and:
For an access type, the formal parameter
is initialized from the value of the actual, without checking that the
value satisfies any constraint, any predicate, or any exclusion of the
null value;
For a scalar type that has the Default_Value
aspect specified, the formal parameter is initialized from the value
of the actual, without checking that the value satisfies any constraint
or any predicate. Furthermore, if the actual parameter is a view conversion
and either
there exists no type (other than a root
numeric type) that is an ancestor of both the target type and the type
of the operand of the conversion; or
the Default_Value aspect is unspecified
for the type of the operand of the conversion
then Program_Error is raised;
For a composite type with discriminants
or that has implicit initial values for any subcomponents (see
3.3.1),
the behavior is as for an
in out parameter passed by copy.
For any other type, the formal parameter
is uninitialized. If composite, a view conversion of the actual parameter
to the nominal subtype of the formal is evaluated (which might raise
Constraint_Error), and the actual subtype of the formal is that of the
view conversion. If elementary, the actual subtype of the formal is given
by its nominal subtype.
In a function call, for each explicitly aliased
parameter, a check is made that the accessibility level of the master
of the actual object is not deeper than that of the master of the call
(see
3.10.2).
A formal
parameter of mode
in out or
out with discriminants is constrained
if either its nominal subtype or the actual parameter is constrained.
After
normal completion and leaving of a subprogram, for each
in out
or
out parameter that is passed by copy, the value of the formal
parameter is converted to the subtype of the variable given as the actual
parameter and assigned to it.
These conversions and
assignments occur in an arbitrary order.
Erroneous Execution
If the nominal subtype of a formal
parameter with discriminants is constrained or indefinite, and the parameter
is passed by reference, then the execution of the call is erroneous if
the value of any discriminant of the actual is changed while the formal
parameter exists (that is, before leaving the corresponding callable
construct).
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