Ada 95 Quality and Style Guide | Chapter 5 |
5.3.4 Subprogram Access Typesguideline
Use access-to-subprogram types for indirect access to subprograms.
Wherever possible, use abstract tagged types and dispatching rather than access-to-subprogram types to implement dynamic selection and invocation of subprograms. example
The following example is taken from the Rationale (1995, §3.7.2):
generic type Float_Type is digits <>; package Generic_Integration is type Integrand is access function (X : Float_Type) return Float_Type; function Integrate (F : Integrand; From : Float_Type; To : Float_Type; Accuracy : Float_Type := 10.0*Float_Type'Model_Epsilon) return Float_Type; end Generic_Integration; with Generic_Integration; procedure Try_Estimate (External_Data : in Data_Type; Lower : in Float; Upper : in Float; Answer : out Float) is -- external data set by other means function Residue (X : Float) return Float is Result : Float; begin -- Residue -- compute function value dependent upon external data return Result; end Residue; package Float_Integration is new Generic_Integration (Float_Type => Float); use Float_Integration; begin -- Try_Estimate ... Answer := Integrate (F => Residue'Access, From => Lower, To => Upper); end Try_Estimate;rationale
Access-to-subprogram types allow you to create data structures that contain subprogram references. There are many uses for this feature, for instance, implementing state machines, call backs in the X Window System, iterators (the operation to be applied to each element of a list), and numerical algorithms (e.g., integration function) (Rationale 1995, §3.7.2).
You can achieve the same effect as access-to-subprogram types for dynamic selection by using abstract tagged types. You declare an abstract type with one abstract operation and then use an access-to-class-wide type to get the dispatching effect. This technique provides greater flexibility and type safety than
access-to-subprogram types (Ada Reference Manual 1995, §3.10.2).Access-to-subprogram types are useful in implementing dynamic selection. References to the subprograms can be stored directly in the data structure. In a finite state machine, for example, a single data structure can describe the action to be taken on state transitions. Strong type checking is maintained because Ada 95 requires that the designated subprogram has the same parameter/result profile as the one specified in the subprogram access type.
See also Guideline 7.3.2.
< Previous Page | Search | Contents | Index | Next Page > |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC | TOC |
Appendix | References | Bibliography |