===================================================================
@@ -11751,6 +11751,20 @@
Set_Full_View (Prev, Id);
Set_Etype (Id, Any_Type);
+ -- A deferred constant whose type is an anonymous array is always
+ -- illegal (unless imported). A detailed error message might be
+ -- helpful for Ada beginners.
+
+ if Nkind (Object_Definition (Parent (Prev)))
+ = N_Constrained_Array_Definition
+ and then Nkind (Object_Definition (N))
+ = N_Constrained_Array_Definition
+ then
+ Error_Msg_N ("\each anonymous array is a distinct type", N);
+ Error_Msg_N ("a deferred constant must have a named type",
+ Object_Definition (Parent (Prev)));
+ end if;
+
elsif
Null_Exclusion_Present (Parent (Prev))
and then not Null_Exclusion_Present (N)
A deferred constant whose type is an anonymous array is always illegal (unless it is imported). This patch makes the error message more detailed, to help future Ada beginners. Compiling array_constant.ads must yield: array_constant.ads:2:17: a deferred constant must have a named type array_constant.ads:4:04: type does not match declaration at line 2 array_constant.ads:4:04: each anonymous array is a distinct type --- package Array_Constant is A : constant array (Boolean) of Integer; private A : constant array (Boolean) of Integer := ( True => 1, False => 0 ); end Array_Constant; Tested on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, committed on trunk 2014-10-23 Ed Schonberg <schonberg@adacore.com> * sem_ch3.adb (Constant_Redeclaration): Make error message more explicit on a deferred constant whose object_definition is an anonymous array.