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5.6. Block Statements

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1

[A block_statement encloses a handled_sequence_of_statements optionally preceded by a declarative_part.]

Syntax​

2 
block_statement ::= 
   [block_statement_identifier:]
       [declare
            declarative_part]
        begin
            handled_sequence_of_statements
        end [block_identifier];
3

If a block_statement has a block_statement_identifier, then the identifier shall be repeated after the end; otherwise, there shall not be an identifier after the end.

Static Semantics​

4

A block_statement that has no explicit declarative_part has an implicit empty declarative_part.

4.a
ramification

Thus, other rules can always refer to the declarative_part of a block_statement.

Dynamic Semantics​

5

The execution of a block_statement consists of the elaboration of its declarative_part followed by the execution of its handled_sequence_of_statements.

Examples​

6

Example of a block statement with a local variable:

7 
Swap:
   declare
      Temp : Integer;
   begin
      Temp := V; V := U; U := Temp;
   end Swap;
7.a
ramification

If task objects are declared within a block_statement whose execution is completed, the block_statement is not left until all its dependent tasks are terminated (see 7.6). This rule applies to completion caused by a transfer of control.

7.b

Within a block_statement, the block name can be used in expanded names denoting local entities such as Swap.Temp in the above example (see 4.1.3).

Wording Changes from Ada 83​

7.c

The syntax rule for block_statement now uses the syntactic category handled_sequence_of_statements.

5.6.1 Parallel Block Statements​

1/5

[A parallel_block_statement comprises two or more sequence_of_statements separated by and where each represents an independent activity that is intended to proceed concurrently with the others.]

Syntax​

2/5 
parallel_block_statement ::= 
    parallel [(chunk_specification)] [aspect_specification] do
       sequence_of_statements
    and
       sequence_of_statements
   {and
       sequence_of_statements}
    end do;
3/5

The chunk_specification, if any, of a parallel_block_statement shall be an integer_simple_expression.

Dynamic Semantics​

4/5

For the execution of a parallel_block_statement, the chunk_specification and the aspect_specification, if any, are elaborated in an arbitrary order. After elaborating the chunk_specification, if any, a check is made that the determined maximum number of chunks is greater than zero. If this check fails, Program_Error is raised.

5/5

Then, the various sequence_of_statements are grouped into one or more chunks, each with its own logical thread of control (see Clause 9), up to the maximum number of chunks specified by the chunk_specification, if any. Within each chunk every sequence_of_statements of the chunk is executed in turn, in an arbitrary order. The parallel_block_statement is complete once every one of the sequence_of_statements has completed, either by reaching the end of its execution, or due to a transfer of control out of the construct by one of the sequence_of_statements (see 5.1).

5.a/5
implementation note

Although each sequence_of_statements of a parallel block represents a separate logical thread of control, the implementation may choose to combine two or more such logical threads of control into a single physical thread of control to reduce the cost of creating numerous physical threads of control.

Examples​

6/5

Example of a parallel block used to walk a binary tree in parallel:

7/5 
procedure Traverse (T : Expr_Ptr) is -- see 3.9.1
begin
   if T /= null and then
      T.all in Binary_Operation'Class -- see 3.9.1
   then -- recurse down the binary tree
      parallel do
         Traverse (T.Left);
      and
         Traverse (T.Right);
      and
         Ada.Text_IO.Put_Line
            ("Processing " & Ada.Tags.Expanded_Name (T'Tag));
      end do;
   end if;
end Traverse;
8/5

Example of a parallel block used to search two halves of a string in parallel:

9/5 
function Search (S : String; Char : Character) return Boolean is
begin
   if S'Length <= 1000 then
       -- Sequential scan
       return (for some C of S => C = Char);
   else
       -- Parallel divide and conquer
       declare
          Mid : constant Positive := S'First + S'Length/2 - 1;
       begin
          parallel do
             for C of S(S'First .. Mid) loop
                if C = Char then
                   return True;  -- Terminates enclosing do
                end if;
             end loop;
          and
             for C of S(Mid + 1 .. S'Last) loop
                if C = Char then
                   return True;  -- Terminates enclosing do
                end if;
             end loop;
          end do;
          -- Not found
          return False;
       end;
   end if;
end Search;

Extensions to Ada 2012​

9.a/5

The parallel_block_statement is new.