[fpc-pascal] Strange behaviour about class properties

[Adrian Maier]

Hello,

I have the following class :

  FDK_record = class
      private
         TABLE: FDK_table;
         procedure SET_COLUMN    ( field_index: integer;  field_value: string );
         function  GET_COLUMN    ( field_index: integer ): string ;

         procedure SET_COLUMN ( field_name: string;  field_value: string );
         function  GET_COLUMN ( field_name: string ): string ;
      public
         STATUS : fdk_record_status;
         VALUES : array of string;
         NR_FIELDS : integer;
         constructor CREATE( t: FDK_table ; s: fdk_record_status );

         property VALUE_BY_NAME [filed_name : string ]  : string  read
get_column write set_column ; default;

   end;


I don't understand why the following usage works :

 r:=mytable.GET_RECORD(6);    { this returns a FDK_record }
 r[0]:='BZBZB';

Since the default property is VALUE_BY_NAME , which is referenced by a
string, why does
it work with an integer index ?     It should accept only string indexes !

It looks like the property's index type (string)  is  not enforced at
all :  if the given
index is integer it simply uses the integer version of GET_COLUMN and
SET_COLUMN .

Having overloaded functions seems to fool the compiler into accepting any kind
of argument , as long as there is an overloaded function matching its type.

Is this a bug or a feature ?


Cheers,
Adrian Maier