Next: Implementation Defined Characteristics, Previous: Standard and Implementation Defined Restrictions, Up: Top
The main text of the Ada Reference Manual describes the required behavior of all Ada compilers, and the GNAT compiler conforms to these requirements.
In addition, there are sections throughout the Ada Reference Manual headed by the phrase 'Implementation advice'. These sections are not normative, i.e., they do not specify requirements that all compilers must follow. Rather they provide advice on generally desirable behavior. They are not requirements, because they describe behavior that cannot be provided on all systems, or may be undesirable on some systems.
As far as practical, GNAT follows the implementation advice in the Ada Reference Manual. Each such RM section corresponds to a section in this chapter whose title specifies the RM section number and paragraph number and the subject of the advice. The contents of each section consists of the RM text within quotation marks, followed by the GNAT interpretation of the advice. Most often, this simply says 'followed', which means that GNAT follows the advice. However, in a number of cases, GNAT deliberately deviates from this advice, in which case the text describes what GNAT does and why.