![[Ada Information Clearinghouse]](small_adaic_logo.gif)
Ada '83 Rationale, Sec 13.4: Packages and Tasks
"Rationale for the Design of the
Ada® Programming Language"
[Ada '83 Rationale, HTML Version]
CHAPTER 13: Tasking
We conclude by emphasizing one strong distinction between packages and
tasks, despite their lexical similarity. The overall concept is that a
package is passive and provides the means for visibility control and
structuring, whereas a task is active and provides the means for
parallelism and synchronization.
In order to emphasize that a package is the main structuring tool, a
task cannot be generic, cannot be a library unit, and cannot appear in
a use clause.
A general subsystem might thus be a (possibly generic) package
containing tasks. This general structure has the advantage of giving
good control over the facilities provided. Thus protocols on the use
of entries may be enforced by encapsulating their calls in a
procedure.
€ NEXT
€ PREVIOUS
€ UP
€ TOC
€ INDEX
€
Address any questions or comments to
adainfo@sw-eng.falls-church.va.us.