Towards certification of object-oriented code with the GNAT compiler

Abstract

Dynamic binding, the ability to link at runtime a method call with a subprogram that depends on the class of the object, is strongly discouraged by current standards for avionics airborne systems. This is partly due to dynamic dispatching, the technique commonly used by most OO compilers to implement dynamic binding. In this paper we present some enhancements to the GNAT technology that will help the avionic industry take advantage of the full benefits of the OO techniques with Ada without the inconveniences associated with dynamic dispatching.