Ada Reference Manual (Ada 2022) — Legal Information

# 5.5.2 Generalized Loop Iteration

1/3
Generalized forms of loop iteration are provided by an iterator_specification.

#### Syntax

2/5
iterator_specification ::=
defining_identifier [: loop_parameter_subtype_indication] in [reverse] iterator_name
[iterator_filter]
| defining_identifier [: loop_parameter_subtype_indication] of [reverse] iterable_name
[iterator_filter]
2.1/5
loop_parameter_subtype_indication ::= subtype_indication | access_definition
2.2/5
If an iterator_specification is for a parallel construct, the reserved word reverse shall not appear in the iterator_specification.

#### Name Resolution Rules

3/3
For the first form of iterator_specification, called a generalized iterator, the expected type for the iterator_name is any iterator type. For the second form of iterator_specification, the expected type for the iterable_name is any array or iterable container type. If the iterable_name denotes an array object, the iterator_specification is called an array component iterator; otherwise it is called a container element iterator.

#### Legality Rules

4/5
If the reserved word reverse appears, the iterator_specification is a reverse iterator. If the iterator_specification is for a parallel construct, the iterator_specification is a parallel iterator. Otherwise, it is a forward iterator. Forward and reverse iterators are collectively called sequential iterators. In a reverse generalized iterator, the iterator_name shall be of a reversible iterator type. In a parallel generalized iterator, the iterator_name shall be of a parallel iterator type. In a reverse container element iterator, the default iterator type for the type of the iterable_name shall be a reversible iterator type. In a parallel container element iterator, the default iterator type for the type of the iterable_name shall be of a parallel iterator type.
5/5
The subtype defined by the loop_parameter_subtype_indication, if any, of a generalized iterator shall statically match the iteration cursor subtype. The subtype defined by the loop_parameter_subtype_indication, if any, of an array component iterator shall statically match the component subtype of the type of the iterable_name. The subtype defined by the loop_parameter_subtype_indication, if any, of a container element iterator shall statically match the default element subtype for the type of the iterable_name.
6/3
In a container element iterator whose iterable_name has type T, if the iterable_name denotes a constant or the Variable_Indexing aspect is not specified for T, then the Constant_Indexing aspect shall be specified for T.
6.1/4
The iterator_name or iterable_name of an iterator_specification shall not denote a subcomponent that depends on discriminants of an object whose nominal subtype is unconstrained, unless the object is known to be constrained.
6.2/4
A container element iterator is illegal if the call of the default iterator function that creates the loop iterator (see below) is illegal.
6.3/4
A generalized iterator is illegal if the iteration cursor subtype of the iterator_name is a limited type at the point of the generalized iterator. A container element iterator is illegal if the default cursor subtype of the type of the iterable_name is a limited type at the point of the container element iterator.

#### Static Semantics

7/5
An iterator_specification declares a loop parameter. In a generalized iterator, an array component iterator, or a container element iterator, if a loop_parameter_subtype_indication is present, it determines the nominal subtype of the loop parameter. In a generalized iterator, if a loop_parameter_subtype_indication is not present, the nominal subtype of the loop parameter is the iteration cursor subtype. In an array component iterator, if a loop_parameter_subtype_indication is not present, the nominal subtype of the loop parameter is the component subtype of the type of the iterable_name. In a container element iterator, if a loop_parameter_subtype_indication is not present, the nominal subtype of the loop parameter is the default element subtype for the type of the iterable_name.
8/3
In a generalized iterator, the loop parameter is a constant. In an array component iterator, the loop parameter is a constant if the iterable_name denotes a constant; otherwise it denotes a variable. In a container element iterator, the loop parameter is a constant if the iterable_name denotes a constant, or if the Variable_Indexing aspect is not specified for the type of the iterable_name; otherwise it is a variable.

#### Dynamic Semantics

9/3
For the execution of a loop_statement with an iterator_specification, the iterator_specification is first elaborated. This elaboration elaborates the subtype_indication, if any.
10/5
For a sequential generalized iterator, the loop parameter is created, the iterator_name is evaluated, and the denoted iterator object becomes the loop iterator. In a forward generalized iterator, the operation First of the iterator type is called on the loop iterator, to produce the initial value for the loop parameter. If the result of calling Has_Element on the initial value is False, then the execution of the loop_statement is complete. Otherwise, the sequence_of_statements is conditionally executed and then the Next operation of the iterator type is called with the loop iterator and the current value of the loop parameter to produce the next value to be assigned to the loop parameter. This repeats until the result of calling Has_Element on the loop parameter is False, or the loop is left as a consequence of a transfer of control. For a reverse generalized iterator, the operations Last and Previous are called rather than First and Next.
10.1/5
For a parallel generalized iterator, the chunk_specification, if any, of the associated parallel construct, is first elaborated, to determine the maximum number of chunks (see 5.5), and then the operation Split_Into_Chunks of the iterator type is called, with the determined maximum passed as the Max_Chunks parameter, specifying the upper bound for the number of loop parameter objects (and the number of logical threads of control) to be associated with the iterator. In the absence of a chunk_specification, the maximum number of chunks is determined in an implementation-defined manner.
10.2/5
Upon return from Split_Into_Chunks, the actual number of chunks for the loop is determined by calling the Chunk_Count operation of the iterator, at which point one logical thread of control is initiated for each chunk, with an associated chunk index in the range from one to the actual number of chunks.
10.3/5
Within each logical thread of control, a loop parameter is created. If a chunk_specification with a discrete_subtype_definition is present in the associated parallel construct, then a chunk parameter is created and initialized with a value from the discrete subtype defined by the discrete_subtype_definition, so that the order of the chosen chunk parameter values correspond to the order of the chunk indices associated with the logical threads of control. The operation First of the iterator type that has a Chunk parameter is called on the loop iterator, with Chunk initialized from the corresponding chunk index, to produce the initial value for the loop parameter. If the result of calling Has_Element on this initial value is False, then the execution of the logical thread of control is complete. Otherwise, the sequence_of_statements is conditionally executed, and then the Next operation of the iterator type that has a Chunk parameter is called with the loop iterator, the current value of the loop parameter, and the corresponding chunk index, to produce the next value to be assigned to the loop parameter. This repeats until the result of calling Has_Element on the loop parameter is False, or the associated parallel construct is left as a consequence of a transfer of control.
10.4/5
In the absence of a transfer of control, the associated parallel construct of a parallel generalized iterator is complete when all of its logical threads of control are complete.
11/5
For an array component iterator, the chunk_specification of the associated parallel construct, if any, is first elaborated to determine the maximum number of chunks (see 5.5), and then the iterable_name is evaluated and the denoted array object becomes the array for the loop. If the array for the loop is a null array, then the execution of the loop_statement is complete. Otherwise, the sequence_of_statements is conditionally executed with the loop parameter denoting each component of the array for the loop, using a canonical order of components, which is last dimension varying fastest (unless the array has convention Fortran, in which case it is first dimension varying fastest). For a forward array component iterator, the iteration starts with the component whose index values are each the first in their index range, and continues in the canonical order. For a reverse array component iterator, the iteration starts with the component whose index values are each the last in their index range, and continues in the reverse of the canonical order. For a parallel array component iterator, the iteration is broken up into contiguous chunks of the canonical order, such that all components are covered with no overlaps; each chunk has its own logical thread of control with its own loop parameter and iteration within each chunk is in the canonical order. The number of chunks is implementation defined, but is limited in the presence of a chunk_specification to the determined maximum. The loop iteration proceeds until the sequence_of_statements has been conditionally executed for each component of the array for the loop, or until the loop is left as a consequence of a transfer of control.
11.1/5
If a chunk_specification with a discrete_subtype_definition is present in the associated parallel construct, then the logical thread of control associated with a given chunk has a chunk parameter initialized with a distinct value from the discrete subtype defined by the discrete_subtype_definition. The values of the chunk parameters are assigned such that they increase in the canonical order of the starting array components for the chunks.
12/5
For a container element iterator, the chunk_specification of the associated parallel construct, if any, is first elaborated to determine the maximum number of chunks (see 5.5), and then the iterable_name is evaluated. If the container type has Iterator_View specified, an object of the Iterator_View type is created with the discriminant referencing the iterable container object denoted by the iterable_name. This is the iterable container object for the loop. Otherwise, the iterable container object denoted by the iterable_name becomes the iterable container object for the loop. The default iterator function for the type of the iterable container object for the loop is called on the iterable container object and the result is the loop iterator. For a sequential container element iterator, an object of the default cursor subtype is created (the loop cursor). For a parallel container element iterator, each chunk of iterations will have its own loop cursor, again of the default cursor subtype.
13/5
A container element iterator then proceeds as described above for a generalized iterator, except that each reference to a loop parameter is replaced by a reference to the corresponding loop cursor. For a container element iterator, the loop parameter for each iteration instead denotes an indexing (see 4.1.6) into the iterable container object for the loop, with the only parameter to the indexing being the value of the loop cursor for the given iteration. If the loop parameter is a constant (see above), then the indexing uses the default constant indexing function for the type of the iterable container object for the loop; otherwise it uses the default variable indexing function.
14/4
Any exception propagated by the execution of a generalized iterator or container element iterator is propagated by the immediately enclosing loop statement.

#### Examples

15/5
Example of a parallel generalized loop over an array:
16/5
parallel
for Element of Board loop -- See 3.6.1.
Element := Element * 2.0; -- Double each element of Board, a two-dimensional array.
end loop;
17/5
For examples of use of generalized iterators, see A.18.33 and the corresponding container packages in A.18.2 and A.18.3.

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