Compiler can't determine what function to call

[LemonParty]

Hello.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. {$mode objfpc}{$H+}
2.  
3. type
4.         TMyType = array [0..15] of Byte;
5.  
6. function Length(constref BA: TMyType): SizeInt;
7. begin
8.  
9. end;
10.  
11. begin
12.         Writeln(
13.                 Length('123')
14.         );
15. end.

Compiler version 3.2.2. Is this bug or what?

[Zvoni]

C&P your code i don't get "Compiler can't determine what function to call"
i get "project1.lpr(14,29) Error: Incompatible type for arg no. 1: Got "Constant String", expected "TMyType""

So what's your question?
Were you expecting the code to call the "standard" length-Function?
In that case prepend your call with "System"

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. System.Length('123')

[Thaddy]

It may well be a bug, not sure.
But you are trying to confuse the compiler on purpose.
The solution is easy:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. {$mode objfpc}{$H+}
2.  
3. type
4.   TMyType = array [0..15] of byte;
5.  
6. function Length(constref BA: TMyType): SizeInt;
7. begin
8.   result := 0;
9. end;
10.  
11. begin
12.   Writeln(System.Length('123'));// make it unambiguous.
13. end.

Note that if that code would be in a unit, there is no error and the system version is chosen.
Of course, if you change byte to char, your version is chosen provided you specify a result.

@Zvoni
Was easy to replicate on windows x86_64
Posts crossed.
It may very well be a platform bug.

[Thaddy]

It is not platform, so it is a bug. Work-around obvious, but a byte is not a char in Pascal.

[PascalDragon]

Is this bug or what?

Normally you could solve this by declaring your Length function as overload, however due to System.Length being a compiler intrinsic and not a regular function this does not work. Thus you need to explicitly use System.Length to solve this.