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A.3.2 The Package Characters.Handling

Static Semantics

  1. The library package Characters.Handling has the following declaration: 
  2. package Ada.Characters.Handling is
  pragma Preelaborate(Handling);

  3.   --  Character classification functions

  4.   function Is_Control           (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Graphic           (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Letter            (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Lower             (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Upper             (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Basic             (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Digit             (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Decimal_Digit     (Item : in Character) return Boolean
    renames Is_Digit;
  function Is_Hexadecimal_Digit (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Alphanumeric      (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_Special           (Item : in Character) return Boolean;

  5.   --  Conversion functions for Character and String

  6.   function To_Lower (Item : in Character) return Character;
  function To_Upper (Item : in Character) return Character;
  function To_Basic (Item : in Character) return Character;

  7.   function To_Lower (Item : in String) return String;
  function To_Upper (Item : in String) return String;
  function To_Basic (Item : in String) return String;

  8.   --  Classifications of and conversions
  --  between Character and ISO 646

  9.   subtype ISO_646 is
    Character range Character'Val(0) .. Character'Val(127);

  10.   function Is_ISO_646 (Item : in Character) return Boolean;
  function Is_ISO_646 (Item : in String)    return Boolean;

  11.   function To_ISO_646 (Item       : in Character;
                       Substitute : in ISO_646 := ' ')
    return ISO_646;

  12.   function To_ISO_646 (Item       : in String;
                       Substitute : in ISO_646 := ' ')
    return String;

  13.   --  Classifications of and conversions
  --  between Wide_Character and Character.

  14.  function Is_Character (Item : in Wide_Character) return Boolean;
 function Is_String    (Item : in Wide_String)    return Boolean;

  15.   function To_Character (Item       : in Wide_Character;
                         Substitute : in Character := ' ')
    return Character;

  16.   function To_String (Item       : in Wide_String;
                      Substitute : in Character := ' ')
    return String;

  17.   function To_Wide_Character (Item : in Character)
    return Wide_Character;

  18.   function To_Wide_String (Item : in String) return Wide_String;

  19. end Ada.Characters.Handling;
  20. In the description below for each function that returns a Boolean result, the effect is described in terms of the conditions under which the value True is returned. If these conditions are not met, then the function returns False.
  21. Each of the following classification functions has a formal Character parameter, Item, and returns a Boolean result.
  22. Is_Control 
    True if Item is a control character. A control character is
a character whose position is in one of the ranges 0..31 or
127..159.
  23. Is_Graphic 
    True if Item is a graphic character. A graphic character is
a character whose position is in one of the ranges 32..126 or
160..255.
  24. Is_Letter 
    True if Item is a letter. A letter is a character that is in
one of the ranges 'A'..'Z' or 'a'..'z', or whose position is
in one of the ranges 192..214, 216..246, or 248..255.
  25. Is_Lower 
    True if Item is a lower-case letter. A lower-case letter is
a character that is in the range 'a'..'z', or whose position
is in one of the ranges 223..246 or 248..255.
  26. Is_Upper 
    True if Item is an upper-case letter. An upper-case letter
is a character that is in the range 'A'..'Z' or whose
position is in one of the ranges 192..214 or 216.. 222.
  27. Is_Basic 
    True if Item is a basic letter. A basic letter is a
character that is in one of the ranges 'A'..'Z' and 'a'..'z',
or that is one of the following: an upper- or lower-case AE
diphthong, an upper- or lower-case Icelandic eth, an upper-
or lower-case Icelandic thorn, or a sharp-s.
  28. Is_Digit 
    True if Item is a decimal digit. A decimal digit is a
character in the range '0'..'9'.
  29. Is_Decimal_Digit 
    A renaming of Is_Digit.
  30. Is_Hexadecimal_Digit 
    True if Item is a hexadecimal digit. A hexadecimal digit is
a character that is either a decimal digit or that is in one
of the ranges 'A' .. 'F' or 'a' .. 'f'.
  31. Is_Alphanumeric 
    True if Item is an alphanumeric character. An alphanumeric
character is a character that is either a letter or a decimal
digit.
  32. Is_Special 
    True if Item is a special graphic character. A special
graphic character is a graphic character that is not
alphanumeric.
  33. Each of the names To_Lower, To_Upper, and To_Basic refers to two functions: one that converts from Character to Character, and the other that converts from String to String. The result of each Character-to-Character function is described below, in terms of the conversion applied to Item, its formal Character parameter. The result of each String-to-String conversion is obtained by applying to each element of the function's String parameter the corresponding Character-to-Character conversion; the result is the null String if the value of the formal parameter is the null String. The lower bound of the result String is 1.
  34. To_Lower 
    Returns the corresponding lower-case value for Item if
Is_Upper(Item), and returns Item otherwise.
  35. To_Upper 
    Returns the corresponding upper-case value for Item if
Is_Lower(Item) and Item has an upper-case form, and returns Item
otherwise. The lower case letters sharp-s and y-diaeresis do
not have upper case forms.
  36. To_Basic 
    Returns the letter corresponding to Item but with no
diacritical mark, if Item is a letter but not a basic letter;
returns Item otherwise.
  37. The following set of functions test for membership in the ISO 646 character range, or convert between ISO 646 and Character.
  38. Is_ISO_646 
    The function whose formal parameter, Item, is of type
Character returns True if Item is in the subtype ISO_646.
  39. Is_ISO_646 
    The function whose formal parameter, Item, is of type String
returns True if Is_ISO_646(Item(I)) is True for each I in
Item'Range.
  40. To_ISO_646 
    The function whose first formal parameter, Item, is of type
Character returns Item if Is_ISO_646(Item), and returns the
Substitute ISO_646 character otherwise.
  41. To_ISO_646 
    The function whose first formal parameter, Item, is of type
String returns the String whose Range is 1..Item'Length and
each of whose elements is given by To_ISO_646 of the
corresponding element in Item.
  42. The following set of functions test Wide_Character values for membership in Character, or convert between corresponding characters of Wide_Character and Character.
  43. Is_Character 
    Returns True if Wide_Character'Pos(Item) <=
Character'Pos(Character'Last).
  44. Is_String 
    Returns True if Is_Character(Item(I)) is True for each I in
Item'Range.
  45. To_Character 
    Returns the Character corresponding to Item if
Is_Character(Item), and returns the Substitute Character
otherwise.
  46. To_String 
    Returns the String whose range is 1..Item'Length and each of
whose elements is given by To_Character of the corresponding
element in Item.
  47. To_Wide_Character 
    Returns the Wide_Character X such that Character'Pos(Item) =
Wide_Character'Pos(X).
  48. To_Wide_String 
    Returns the Wide_String whose range is 1..Item'Length and
each of whose elements is given by To_Wide_Character of the
corresponding element in Item.

    Implementation Advice

  49. If an implementation provides a localized definition of Character or Wide_Character, then the effects of the subprograms in Characters.Handling should reflect the localizations. See also See section 3.5.2 Character Types.

    NOTES

  50. (5) A basic letter is a letter without a diacritical mark.
  51. (6) Except for the hexadecimal digits, basic letters, and ISO_646 characters, the categories identified in the classification functions form a strict hierarchy:
    1. Control characters
    2. Graphic characters
      1. Alphanumeric characters
        1. Letters
          1. Upper-case letters
          2. Lower-case letters

        1. Decimal digits

      1. Special graphic characters

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