[CR] allowing "any" type as a formal parameter to external functions
Submitted by Kristof Szabados
Link to original bug (#558722)
Description
The latest version of the TTCN-3 standard enables the user to use any type as the type of a formal parameter of an external function. CR 7455: http://oldforge.etsi.org/mantis/view.php?id=7455
Although the notation is used for predefined function it is not expected to bring changes for them, as per the declared semantics.
The benefit of this approach is that user will be able to pass any type as a parameter for an external function (for example printf can be implemented now). But this also means that on the implementation side of the external function, the native code will have offer specialised implementation for all types that can be reasonably expected to be passed as parameters. (for example most probably integers have to be handled differently from records)
It is important to note, that later down the line this might create maintenance problems for the users. For example if base libraries start to use this function, they might need to be updated every time some code calling their functions, uses a new type that needs some special behiour to handle.
Version: 6.6.0