Classification of Operations

3.2.3 Classification of Operations

Static Semantics

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An operation operates on a type T if it yields a value of type T, if it has an operand whose expected type (see 8.6) is T, or if it has an access parameter or access result type (see 6.1) designating T. A predefined operator, or other language-defined operation such as assignment or a membership test, that operates on a type, is called a predefined operation of the type. The primitive operations of a type are the predefined operations of the type, plus any user-defined primitive subprograms.

The primitive subprograms of a specific type are defined as follows:

The predefined operators of the type (see 4.5);

For a derived type, the inherited (see 3.4) user-defined subprograms;

For an enumeration type, the enumeration literals (which are considered parameterless functions — see 3.5.1);

For a specific type declared immediately within a package_specification, any subprograms (in addition to the enumeration literals) that are explicitly declared immediately within the same package_specification and that operate on the type;

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For a nonformal type, any subprograms not covered above that are explicitly declared immediately within the same declarative region as the type and that override (see 8.3) other implicitly declared primitive subprograms of the type.

A primitive subprogram whose designator is an operator_symbol is called a primitive operator.