A.10.7 Input-Output of Characters and Strings
Static Semantics
1
For an item of type
Character the following procedures are provided:
2
procedure Get(File : in File_Type; Item : out Character);
procedure Get(Item : out Character);
3
After skipping any line terminators and any
page terminators, reads the next character from the specified input file
and returns the value of this character in the out parameter Item.
4
The exception
End_Error is propagated if an attempt is made to skip a file terminator.
5
procedure Put(File : in File_Type; Item : in Character);
procedure Put(Item : in Character);
6
If the line length
of the specified output file is bounded (that is, does not have the conventional
value zero), and the current column number exceeds it, has the effect
of calling New_Line with a spacing of one. Then, or otherwise, outputs
the given character to the file.
7
procedure Look_Ahead (File : in File_Type;
Item : out Character;
End_Of_Line : out Boolean);
procedure Look_Ahead (Item : out Character;
End_Of_Line : out Boolean);
8/1
Mode_Error is
propagated if the mode of the file is not In_File. Sets End_Of_Line to
True if at end of line, including if at end of page or at end of file;
in each of these cases the value of Item is not specified.
{unspecified
[partial]} Otherwise End_Of_Line is set to
False and Item is set to
the the next character
(without consuming it) from the file.
9
procedure Get_Immediate(File : in File_Type;
Item : out Character);
procedure Get_Immediate(Item : out Character);
10
Reads the next
character, either control or graphic, from the specified File or the
default input file. Mode_Error is propagated if the mode of the file
is not In_File. End_Error is propagated if at the end of the file. The
current column, line and page numbers for the file are not affected.
11
procedure Get_Immediate(File : in File_Type;
Item : out Character;
Available : out Boolean);
procedure Get_Immediate(Item : out Character;
Available : out Boolean);
12
If a character,
either control or graphic, is available from the specified File or the
default input file, then the character is read; Available is True and
Item contains the value of this character. If a character is not available,
then Available is False and the value of Item is not specified.
{unspecified
[partial]} Mode_Error is propagated if the
mode of the file is not In_File. End_Error is propagated if at the end
of the file. The current column, line and page numbers for the file are
not affected.
13/2
{
AI95-00301-01}
For an item of type String the following
subprograms procedures
are provided:
14
procedure Get(File : in File_Type; Item : out String);
procedure Get(Item : out String);
15
Determines the
length of the given string and attempts that number of Get operations
for successive characters of the string (in particular, no operation
is performed if the string is null).
16
procedure Put(File : in File_Type; Item : in String);
procedure Put(Item : in String);
17
Determines the
length of the given string and attempts that number of Put operations
for successive characters of the string (in particular, no operation
is performed if the string is null).
17.1/2
function Get_Line(File : in File_Type) return String;
function Get_Line return String;
17.2/2
{
AI95-00301-01}
Returns a result string constructed by reading
successive characters from the specified input file, and assigning them
to successive characters of the result string. The result string has
a lower bound of 1 and an upper bound of the number of characters read.
Reading stops when the end of the line is met; Skip_Line is then (in
effect) called with a spacing of 1.17.3/2
{
AI95-00301-01}
Constraint_Error is raised if the length of the
line exceeds Positive'Last; in this case, the line number and page number
are unchanged, and the column number is unspecified but no less than
it was before the call.{unspecified
[partial]} The exception End_Error is propagated
if an attempt is made to skip a file terminator.17.a/2
Ramification: {
AI95-00301-01}
Precisely what is left in the file is unspecified
if Constraint_Error is raised because the line doesn't fit in a String;
it should be consistent with column number. This allows implementers
to use whatever buffering scheme makes sense. But the line terminator
is not skipped in this case.
18
procedure Get_Line(File : in File_Type;
Item : out String;
Last : out Natural);
procedure Get_Line(Item : out String; Last : out Natural);
19
Reads successive characters from the specified
input file and assigns them to successive characters of the specified
string. Reading stops if the end of the string is met. Reading also stops
if the end of the line is met before meeting the end of the string; in
this case Skip_Line is (in effect) called with a spacing of 1.
{unspecified
[partial]} The values of characters not assigned
are not specified.
20
If characters
are read, returns in Last the index value such that Item(Last) is the
last character assigned (the index of the first character assigned is
Item'First). If no characters are read, returns in Last an index value
that is one less than Item'First. The exception End_Error is propagated
if an attempt is made to skip a file terminator.
21
procedure Put_Line(File : in File_Type; Item : in String);
procedure Put_Line(Item : in String);
22
Calls the procedure Put for the given string,
and then the procedure New_Line with a spacing of one.
Implementation Advice
23
The Get_Immediate procedures should be implemented
with unbuffered input. For a device such as a keyboard, input should
be “available” if a key has already been typed, whereas for
a disk file, input should always be available except at end of file.
For a file associated with a keyboard-like device, any line-editing features
of the underlying operating system should be disabled during the execution
of Get_Immediate.
23.a/2
Implementation Advice:
Get_Immediate should be implemented
with unbuffered input; input should be available immediately; line-editing
should be disabled.
24
27 Get_Immediate can be used to read a
single key from the keyboard “immediately”; that is, without
waiting for an end of line. In a call of Get_Immediate without the parameter
Available, the caller will wait until a character is available.
25
28 In a literal string parameter of Put,
the enclosing string bracket characters are not output. Each doubled
string bracket character in the enclosed string is output as a single
string bracket character, as a consequence of the rule for string literals
(see
2.6).
26
29 A string read by Get or written by Put
can extend over several lines. An implementation is allowed to assume
that certain external files do not contain page terminators, in which
case Get_Line and Skip_Line can return as soon as a line terminator is
read.
Incompatibilities With Ada 95
26.a/2
{
AI95-00301-01}
{incompatibilities with Ada 95} The
Get_Line functions are newly added to Ada.Text_IO. If Ada.Text_IO is
referenced in a use_clause, and a function
Get_Line is defined in a package that is also referenced in a use_clause,
the user-defined Get_Line may no longer be use-visible, resulting in
errors. This should be rare and is easily fixed if it does occur.
Extensions to Ada 95
26.b/2
{
AI95-00301-01}
{extensions to Ada 95} The
Text_IO.Get_Line functions are new.
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