6.6 Overloading of Operators

danger

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1

An operator is a function whose designator is an operator_symbol. [Operators, like other functions, may be overloaded.]

Name Resolution Rules

2

Each use of a unary or binary operator is equivalent to a function_call with function_prefix being the corresponding operator_symbol, and with (respectively) one or two positional actual parameters being the operand(s) of the operator (in order).

2.a/5

note

To be honest: We also use the term operator (in Clause 4 and in 6.1) to refer to one of the syntactic categories defined in 4.5, “Operators and Expression Evaluation” whose names end with “_operator:” logical_operator, relational_operator, binary_adding_operator, unary_adding_operator, multiplying_operator, and highest_precedence_operator.

2.b/3

discussion

This equivalence extends to uses of function_call in most other language rules. However, as often happens, the equivalence is not perfect, as operator calls are not a name, while a function_call is a name. Thus, operator calls cannot be used in contexts that require a name (such as a rename of an object). A direct fix for this problem would be very disruptive, and thus we have not done that. However, qualifying an operator call can be used as a workaround in contexts that require a name.

Legality Rules

3/3

The subprogram_specification of a unary or binary operator shall have one or two parameters, respectively. The parameters shall be of mode in. A generic function instantiation whose designator is an operator_symbol is only allowed if the specification of the generic function has the corresponding number of parameters, and they are all of mode in.

4

Default_expressions are not allowed for the parameters of an operator (whether the operator is declared with an explicit subprogram_specification or by a generic_instantiation).

5

An explicit declaration of "/=" shall not have a result type of the predefined type Boolean.

Static Semantics

6/3

An explicit declaration of "=" whose result type is Boolean implicitly declares an operator "/=" that gives the complementary result.

6.a/3

discussion

A "/=" defined by this rule is considered user-defined, which means that it will be inherited by a derived type. “User-defined” means “not language-defined” for the purposes of inheritance, that is anything other than predefined operators.

7/5

note

NOTE The operators "+" and "–" are both unary and binary operators, and hence can be overloaded with both one- and two-parameter functions.

Examples

8

Examples of user-defined operators:

9

function "+" (Left, Right : Matrix) return Matrix;
function "+" (Left, Right : Vector) return Vector;

--  assuming that A, B, and C are of the type Vector
--  the following two statements are equivalent:

A := B + C;
A := "+"(B, C);

Extensions to Ada 83

9.a

note

Explicit declarations of "=" are now permitted for any combination of parameter and result types.

9.b

note

Explicit declarations of "/=" are now permitted, so long as the result type is not Boolean.

Wording Changes from Ada 2005

9.c/3

correction

Corrected the wording so that only explicit declarations of "=" cause an implicit declaration of "/="; otherwise, we could get multiple implicit definitions of "/=" without an obvious way to chose between them.

9.d/3

note

Added wording so that operators only allow parameters of mode in. This was made necessary by the elimination elsewhere of the restriction that function parameters be only of mode in.