15.6 Image Values For Nonscalar Types

Ada 2022 defines the Image, Wide_Image, and Wide_Wide image attributes for nonscalar types; earlier Ada versions defined these attributes only for scalar types. Ada RM 4.10 provides some general guidance regarding the default implementation of these attributes and the GNAT compiler follows that guidance. However, beyond that the precise details of the image text generated in these cases are deliberately not documented and are subject to change. In particular, users should not rely on formatting details (such as spaces or line breaking), record field order, image values for access types, image values for types that have ancestor or subcomponent types declared in non-Ada2022 code, image values for predefined types, or the compiler’s choices regarding the implementation permissions described in Ada RM 4.10. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. If more precise control of image text is required for some type T, then T’Put_Image should be explicitly specified.