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3.6.3 String Types

Static Semantics

1
{string type} A one-dimensional array type whose component type is a character type is called a string type.
2/2
{AI95-00285-01} [There are three predefined string types, String, Wide_String, and Wide_Wide_String, each indexed by values of the predefined subtype Positive; these are declared in the visible part of package Standard:] 
3
[subtype Positive is Integer range 1 .. Integer'Last;
4/2
{AI95-00285-01} type String is array(Positive range <>) of Character;
type Wide_String is array(Positive range <>) of Wide_Character;
type Wide_Wide_String is array(Positive range <>) of Wide_Wide_Character;
]
NOTES
5
51  String literals (see 2.6 and 4.2) are defined for all string types. The concatenation operator & is predefined for string types, as for all nonlimited one-dimensional array types. The ordering operators <, <=, >, and >= are predefined for string types, as for all one-dimensional discrete array types; these ordering operators correspond to lexicographic order (see 4.5.2).

Examples

6
Examples of string objects: 
7
Stars      : String(1 .. 120) := (1 .. 120 => '*' );
Question   : constant String  := "How many characters?";
                                                      -- Question'First = 1, Question'Last = 20
                                                      -- Question'Length = 20 (the number of characters)
8
Ask_Twice  : String  := Question & Question;          -- constrained to (1..40)
Ninety_Six : constant Roman   := "XCVI";              -- see 3.5.2 and 3.6

Inconsistencies With Ada 83

8.a
{inconsistencies with Ada 83} The declaration of Wide_String in Standard hides a use-visible declaration with the same defining_identifier. In rare cases, this might result in an inconsistency between Ada 83 and Ada 95. 

Incompatibilities With Ada 83

8.b
{incompatibilities with Ada 83} Because both String and Wide_String are always directly visible, an expression like 
8.c
"a" < "bc"
8.d
is now ambiguous, whereas in Ada 83 both string literals could be resolved to type String. 

Extensions to Ada 83

8.e
{extensions to Ada 83} The type Wide_String is new (though it was approved by ARG for Ada 83 compilers as well). 

Wording Changes from Ada 83

8.f
We define the term string type as a natural analogy to the term character type

Inconsistencies With Ada 95

8.g/2
{AI95-00285-01} {inconsistencies with Ada 95} The declaration of Wide_Wide_String in Standard hides a use-visible declaration with the same defining_identifier. In the (very) unlikely event that an Ada 95 program had depended on such a use-visible declaration, and the program remains legal after the substitution of Standard.Wide_Wide_String, the meaning of the program will be different.

Extensions to Ada 95

8.h/2
{AI95-00285-01} {extensions to Ada 95} The type Wide_Wide_String is new. 

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