Foreword
This document is the Annotated Ada Reference Manual.
The International Standard for the programming language Ada is ISO/IEC
8652:2023(E). The International Standard is derived from the Ada Reference
Manual, with various non-normative changes. In particular, the International
Standard numbers clauses differently, omits the annotations and paragraph
numbers, eliminates the Acknowledgements, and modifies various front
matter such as the Title page and the Foreword.
Discussion: New ISO requirements necessitated
changing the numbers of all of the numbered clauses and subclauses in
the International Standard. The Ada Reference Manual retains its traditional
numbering of clauses and subclauses as it is common for existing material
(both printed and electronic) to refer to subclauses just by number.
The Ada Working Group ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 22/WG 9 is
tasked by ISO with the work item to interpret and maintain the International
Standard and to produce Technical Corrigenda, as appropriate. The technical
work on the International Standard is performed by the Ada Rapporteur
Group (ARG) of WG 9.
AXE Consultants produces the Ada Reference Manual
in consultation with the ARG, along with drafts of other documents as
needed. ISO/IEC documents often list the individual changes that need
to be made to the text of a Standard, rather than simply updating the
document. As such, an International Standard is often found in several
parts, while the Ada Reference Manual is always a single document.
In June 2016, WG 9 approved a tentative schedule
for the preparation of an Amendment or Revision to the International
Standard, with a delivery no earlier than 2018. In July 2019, WG 9 approved
an additional review and prototyping period for this revision, extending
the delivery to no earlier than late 2020. The draft standard was delivered
to WG 9 in July 2021, and the Standard was published as ISO/IEC 8652:2023
in May 2023.
Since the completion of Ada
2022, work has continued on Ada, both to correct errors and to add small
enhancements. Currently, it is planned to issue a Corrigendum to correct
errors and add missing rules, but there
has been no determination of when or in what form other changes will
be issued. However, it is valuable to have
all of the corrections available in one place. Thus, we've created this
draft update, which for the purposes of this document, we'll Ada 202y.
This version of the Ada Reference Manual shows the
current state of Ada 202y. As Ada 202y is still
under development, features are still subject to change 2022..
Significant changes in this consolidated edition
are as follows:
Many new aspects and attributes
are defined.
Many corrections and clarifications
have been made to the original edition.
Ada 2005 and 2012 Editions sponsored in part by Ada-Europe