4.69 Attribute Valid_Scalars

The 'Valid_Scalars attribute is intended to make it easier to check the validity of scalar subcomponents of composite objects. It is defined for any prefix X that denotes an object. The value of this attribute is of the predefined type Boolean. X'Valid_Scalars yields True if and only if evaluation of P'Valid yields True for every scalar part P of X or if X has no scalar parts. It is not specified in what order the scalar parts are checked, nor whether any more are checked after any one of them is determined to be invalid. If the prefix X is of a class-wide type T'Class (where T is the associated specific type), or if the prefix X is of a specific tagged type T, then only the scalar parts of components of T are traversed; in other words, components of extensions of T are not traversed even if T'Class (X)'Tag /= T'Tag . The compiler will issue a warning if it can be determined at compile time that the prefix of the attribute has no scalar parts (e.g., if the prefix is of an access type, an interface type, an undiscriminated task type, or an undiscriminated protected type).

For scalar types, Valid_Scalars is equivalent to Valid. The use of this attribute is not permitted for Unchecked_Union types for which in general it is not possible to determine the values of the discriminants.

Note: Valid_Scalars can generate a lot of code, especially in the case of a large variant record. If the attribute is called in many places in the same program applied to objects of the same type, it can reduce program size to write a function with a single use of the attribute, and then call that function from multiple places.