HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pukite                          
Subject: Ada comment
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: DAINA
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 12:40:00 GMT

two recently available Ada PC user interface libraries/bindings -
AdaSAGE and Meridian Ada for MS-Windows.  As this newsgroup is
the best discussion area for Ada topics, I thought I would post
some mostly positive comments on the two products.

     AdaSAGE - This free set of utility packages from the Navy is
impressive in its scope.  It has routines for database
management, graphics, etc. along with excellent documentation and
on-line indexing.  For example,  if you needed to create a full
screen text editor in your Ada application,  a supplied TSR
indexing utility can search for the "editor" keyword and then 
place a copy of the procedure calling syntax in your
code.  It requires the Alsys PC Ada compiler, but is said to
support the Meridian PC Ada compiler.  For the price of 13
formatted 3-1/2" high density disks and a SASE mailer, it can't
be beat.  Of course it takes up quite a bit of disk space, so
that I was only able to load up and test the basic AdaSAGE
library of 13MBytes.  I would be interested if anyone has
comments on the graphics and mouse libraries.

AdaSAGE is available from:

     NCTAMS-LANT
     Naval Air Station
     Bldg. V53, Room 331 (AdaSAGE)
     Code N912.2
     Norfolk, VA 23511

     Meridian Ada for Windows - This commercial compiler works
under MS-Windows to generate Windows executables.  It has a
"thin" application program interface to the Windows functions in
that it maps closely to the C function specifications.  I was
pleasantly surprised at how well the compiler performs (if there
were problems, the sparse documentation supplied would not help
too much).  The one limitation I noticed was that all the Windows
call-back functions must be specified in the same top-level Ada
package - which is at odds with the concept of modularity.  To
run Windows Ada, what is also required besides the supplied
compiler is the LIBW.LIB and MNOCRT.LIB from the Windows SDK.  A
resource compiler is also recommended for generating detailed 
dialog boxes.   My question: Is there a future possibility that
someone will create a set of Windows library routines more in
line with Ada's strong type checking and other powerful features? 
To name a few examples : (1) using the Ada string type instead of
pointers to character buffers, (2) invoking default parameters to 
Windows calls, and (3) overloading the names of Windows routines
that are distinguished by only the parameters they pass (integers,
text, etc.).  I know it will reduce the efficiency of the code
(not a big deal, since Windows apps are already slow) but this
would make the final product more robust and maintainable (and
perhaps easier to port to other windowing systems). 

Paul  Pukite
pukite@vz.acs.umn.edu
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
From: fortin@nosc.mil (Richard G. Fortin)
Subject: TAMSCO Ada Benchmarks
Keywords: TAMSCO, CECOM
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, CA
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 19:10:01 GMT

A very kind soul provided me with a report on exactly what I needed
concerning benchmarks in a real-time Ada environment.  The benchmarks
were based on the "Real Time Performance Benchmarks For Ada" by TAMSCO
as prepared for the US Army, CECOM (October 1988).  Unfortunately, the
contact he had for CECOM (where he got the benchmark material) was out
of date.  The phone number gave the classic "We're sorry but your call
did not go through..."  Does anyone have a contact for CECOM or TAMSCO,
particularly someone possibly involved with that effort?  (I know, that's
asking a lot...)

Thanks,
Richard Fortin                  | fortin@manta.nosc.mil
SAIC, Engineering Systems Group |--------------------------------
10770 Wateridge Circle          |It is easier to criticize than
San Diego, CA 92121             |to be correct.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
From: eachus@Dr_No.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)
Subject: Re: Controlling Type Definition - Is it useful/necessary?
Organization: The Mitre Corp., Bedford, MA.
	<dnsurber.716479211@node_26400>
Distribution: comp.ada
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 21:15:21 GMT


      A lot of good suggestions, but you missed a critical one:

      Wherever possible, if a package imports a type, make it a
generic parameter.  (Of course, if the design requires that something
be of type foo, its not possible...)  In general this means that only a
few people need to run around defining types, but the major advantage
is that there are fewer with clauses required, and fewer
recompilations.

--

					Robert I. Eachus

with STANDARD_DISCLAIMER;
use  STANDARD_DISCLAIMER;
function MESSAGE (TEXT: in CLEVER_IDEAS) return BETTER_IDEAS is...
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
From: tp923021@ash.canberra.edu.au (Ben Elliston)
Subject: Case errors
Organization: Info Sci & Eng, University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA
Date:  5 Sep 92 06:32:32 GMT

Hiya.

I'm trying to compile a program using Meridian ACE and it's generating
an error which is a little hard to work out based on its description:

"Incomplete case in middle of range"

The portion of code generating this error is:

CASE Symbol IS
  WHEN "(" | "[" | "{" => Push(Symbol,S);  -- Push the symbol onto stack
  WHEN ")" | "]" | "}" => 
    IF Empty(S) THEN -- The stack is empty?
      Valid := False;
    ELSIF Match(Top(S),Symbol) THEN  -- The closing symbol matches
                                     -- the opening symbol on the stack
      Pop(S);
    ELSE
      Valid := False;
    END IF;
  Text_IO.Get(Item => Symbol);
END CASE;

.. the package using the Pop, Push and Match, etc. functions compiles
okay.

If anything here is noticably wrong, I'd appreciate hearing about it!
:-)

Many thanks.

Cheers,
%Ben%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ben Elliston                                           | This message
Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering)         | brought to you
University of Canberra                                 | by the machine
Internet: tp923021@fir.canberra.edu.au                 | that goes
FidoNet:  3:620/262                                    | 'ping'!
-------------------------------------------------------+----------------------
Some people make champagne out of water.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: dan@mksinfo.uucp (Daniel Anderson)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: XGL Binding for Sun
Keywords: XGL, SPARC
Date: 9 Sep 92 18:13:51 GMT
Distribution: comp
Organization: mks compu group



A friend of mine asked me to post for him as he does not
have access to the News. If you cannot reach him at his address
you can always post to me and I will foward it.


Hi there,

	I would like to know if an ADA binding for SUN XGL is available
on the market. If yes, which compagny has developped it.

P.S.:	Since I don't have access to the NEWS, please return answers
	to the E-mail address specified in my signature.

							Thank you.

+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
| Stephane Desrochers                     |    PARAMAX Electronic Systems    |
| Software Design Engineer                |   Avionics Systems Department    |
| asildes%ada100@ert.sp.unisys.com        |6111 Royalmount, Montreal (Quebec)|
| Tel: (514)340-8501 / Fax: (514)340-8657 |             H4P 1K6              |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
From: goodsenj@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu (John Goodsen)
Subject: Re: MI - clutching at straws
Organization: Software Engineering Institute
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 06:55:04 GMT


>
>A program which has objects which are simultanously in lists and trees, 
>and uses MI to manage both structures is a mess.  Such a program can be 
>created and made to work, but the list primitives will have to be aware 
>of the tree primitives and vice-versa.
>

It's not very persuading to point out a poor design and then state 
that the technology was the fault.

-- 
John Goodsen                              Ada Joint Program Office
jgg@evb.com                               PCIS Programme
800-877-1815                              goodsenj@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu
From: mgeorgy@vmsclst1.sc.csupomona.edu
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Detecting EOL with SEQUENTIAL_IO!!!!!
Date: 14 Sep 92 00:08:44 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Computational Systems
Nntp-Posting-User: mgeorgy

Basiclly I am trying to read an image file that can very in size.  Because of 
the type of the information in the file I am using SEQUENTIAL_IO.  The problem
is that I need to write the file again hopefully in the same format as the 
original (ie I read a 512 X 512 file I write a 512 x 512 file not, 262144 byte 
line).  So far when I write a dummy read program (read one byte write one byte)
the system has been recognizing the LF at the end of the 512 stream and 
transfers it to the new file.  The other problem is that I don't want to limit
my program by always having the max array size defined (512 X 512), I would
like it to very with each image read!!!
                     
Any help greatly appreciated!!!
Matt Georgy
California State Polytechnic State University, Pomona  -- Computer Science
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+When It Absolutely, Positively, Has To Be Taken Out Overnight!!!+
+                                                                +
+                                      --  Team Stealth          +
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: whmurray@cibecue.az05.bull.com (William H. Murray)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Ada comment
Date: 11 Sep 92 15:51:29 GMT
Reply-To: whmurray@cibecue.az05.bull.com (William H. Murray)
Distribution: USA
Organization: Bull HN Information Systems

Re AdaSage - The last info in the AdaIC newsletter indicated
12 5.25" floppies. Has that increased??? I am unable to get
past the initial screen of their BB where the latest order
info is supposed to be posted. Any comments for sure on #
of 5.25 disks??
 
Re Meridian for Windows. Has this product been anounced or
publicized anywhere??? I've been calling them and writting
letters indicating my interest in such a product. Please
tell us more..... How long has this been available? How
much? I would like to hear from anyone who has used this.
 
Bill Murray   whmurray@cibecue.az05.bull.com
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
From: tp923021@jarrah.canberra.edu.au (Ben Elliston)
Subject: Generics?
Organization: Info Sci & Eng, University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA
Date:  8 Sep 92 11:50:43 GMT

Thanks to those regarding my problem with the case statement .. all
fixed now .. and much appreciated!

I've since moved onto making an array a generic type (such as this):

GENERIC
Type Index IS (<>);

[..]

Type Stack_Array IS Array(Index) of Character;

Type Stack_Type IS RECORD
  Data_Store: Stack_Array;
  Pointer: Natural;
END RECORD;

As it stands now, it seems that since the "pointer" variable (which
indicates the current "highwater" mark of the array) is a natural, that
Ada won't allow a natural to access an array indexed by some unknown
(generic) type.

For example, if the array was instantiated using a subtype of naturals
(0 .. 100), allowing a natural to access elements of the array could
lead to errors (of course, stack.data_store(103) would cause problems).

Basically, I need to be able to "look at" any element in the array
regardless of how large an array is defined in the given procedure using
this package.

I'm not too familiar with generics, and if someone could shed some light
on this, I would really appreciate it.

Many thanks.

Cheers,
%Ben%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ben Elliston                                           | This message
Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering)         | brought to you
University of Canberra                                 | by the machine
Internet: tp923021@fir.canberra.edu.au                 | that goes
FidoNet:  3:620/262                                    | 'ping'!
-------------------------------------------------------+----------------------
Some people make champagne out of water.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: westley@calspan.com (Terry J. Westley)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: typesetting equations in Ada comments with tgrind
Date: 9 Sep 92 13:04:42 GMT
Organization: Calspan Advanced Technology Center

In article <1992Sep08.112138.18146@rz.uni-jena.de> mwj@rz.uni-jena.de (Johannes Waldmann) writes:
>A few days ago I asked for `tgrindef' definitions for Ada.
>`tgrind' is anonymously ftp-able from various sites. Its README says:
>
>> This is a pretty printer similar to 4bsd's "vgrind" except it uses
>> TeX instead of troff.  It was written by Van Jacobson of Lawrence
>> Berkeley Laboratory (van@lbl-csam.arpa).
>

I would like to embed LaTeX equations in the header comments of an Ada
unit and have the equation properly typeset when processed by tgrind.

Has anyone ever done this or have any ideas on how to do it?  I would
like to be able to pass the same source file to both the Ada compiler
and tgrind.

-- 
Terry J. Westley, Principal Computer Scientist
Calspan Corporation, P.O. Box 400, Buffalo, NY 14225
westley@calspan.com
Let's hear it for smart mailers that cut off long signa
From: bortz@CNAM.CNAM.FR
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Compiler in its own language (Was: Re: Play 20K expressions again, Sam)
Date: 10 Sep 92 06:37:44 GMT
Organization: CNAM

In article <9194@verdix.verdix.com>, brucej@verdix.com (Bruce Jones) writes:
...
> Well, our new optimizer is written in Ada.  It turns out that Ada is a
> great language for writing large programs, the new code is very readable
> and maintainable.

I take this opportunity to discuss about the best language to write a
compiler (a private discussion already occured, thanks for those who participated). 
IMHO, it is better to write the compiler in the language it compiles,
whatever is this language. 
It has several technical benefits:
- any improvment in the optimizer will optimize the compiler as well,
- this is the greatest test suite you can dream of: if it can compile
an Ada compiler, it will compile everything :-)
and a commercial one:
- it states clearly that you trust the language you try to sell.

I tried to list the languages used by some compilers. (If someone wants
to complete/correct this list?)

Compiler                 Language

Verdix                   C + now partly in Ada
Telesoft                 Ada
Alsys                    Ada
DEC                      Bliss + Ada (unknown proportions)
Meridian                 ?
Ada-Ed, first version    SETL
Ada-Ed, second version   C
Systeam                  ?
GNU Ada                  C, but may be an Ada version (?)

-------------

Stephane Bortzmeyer           Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers	
bortzmeyer@cnam.cnam.fr       Laboratoire d'Informatique
                              292, rue Saint-Martin			
tel: +33 (1) 40 27 27 31      75141 Paris Cedex 03
fax: +33 (1) 40 27 27 72      France	

"C'est la nuit qu'il est beau de croire a la lumiere." E. Rostand

					
	
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
From: mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Michael Feldman)
Subject: Re: FTP site for ADA compiler for IBM-PC?
Organization: George Washington University
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:43:38 GMT

In article <BuKs6B.D6D@acsu.buffalo.edu> dudek@acsu.buffalo.edu (David T. Dudek) writes:
>I'm a CS student learning ADA, and I would like to 'play around' with it on
>my 286XT-clone at home.  Does anyone have any info about a shareware or
>public domain compiler that I can obtain?  One similar to the VERDIX
>version would be very helpful.
>
The ftp-able Ada/Ed, available from NYU, requires a 386 or 486. That's
the only free Ada system available right now. If you can invest $100.
in a good Ada system (editor, compiler, linker, debugger, libraries,
etc.) that'll run on your 286, try Meridian at 800-221-2522. Ask for
Linda Souza, their education person.

I think it's safe to assume that new DOS Ada products, free or otherwise,
will be done for the 386/486 family. Sad but true.

Mike Feldman
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael B. Feldman
co-chair, SIGAda Education Committee

Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
School of Engineering and Applied Science
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052 USA
(202) 994-5253 (voice)
(202) 994-5296 (fax)
mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Internet)

"Americans wants the fruits of patience -- and they want them now."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
From: obry@flash.bellcore.com (Pascal Obry)
Subject: Re: Ada's (in)visibility in the engineering community
Organization: /u/obry/.organization
	<OBRY.92Sep14094032@cheesesteak.flash.bellcore.com>
	<1992Sep14.160356.12976@mksol.dseg.ti.com>
Date: 14 Sep 92 16:23:36


> Spoken like someone who has never done a major OO project.  If you
> think you can just sit down and write a major application in an OO
> language "without conception", you are greatly mistaken.

No, I don't think. But now they use C++ almost like C because they find
a big problem to make a good conception. Because today a lot of peoples enjoy
the OO-languages : it seem so simple, but like you said without conception
it's impossible to do something good. And if the concept of OO-languages
are 'quite simple' the conception is sometime *very difficult* ...

Pascal.
--

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--  Pascal OBRY								     --
--  Room 2D-337				e_mail : obry@bellcore.com  	     --
--  Bellcore								     --
--  445 South Street			voice : 1 - 201 829 4039	     --
--  Post Office Box 1910						     --
--  Morristown, New Jersey 07962-1910					     --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  `` inheritance is surely a good answer, but who knows the question ? ''
From: lam@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com (Josh Lam)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Novice Question On Generics
Date: 15 Sep 92 18:43:45 GMT
Organization: Honeywell Air Transport Systems Division

Hi there:

I have a generic package Queue that has the function enqueue.

This generic package is 'with' into two packages A and B that looks
like:

with Queue                                with Queue
package A  is                             package B is 

 ...                                      ...

 type A_record is                           type B_record is
  record                                     record
   ...                                         ...
  end record                                 end record

 package my_QA is new Queue(A_record);       package my_QB is new Queue(B_record);

 ...                                          ...

 Run_Proc(X : A_record);                      Run_Proc(Y : B_record);

 ...                                          ...

end A;                                    end B;


Now the Run_Proc procedures for both packages will look like:

-- Run_Proc in package A                  -- Run_Proc in package B 

Run_Proc(X : A_record) is                 Run_Proc(Y : B_record) is
begin                                     begin
  my_QA.enqueue(X);                         my_QB.enqueue(Y);
end Run_Proc;                              end Run_Proc;


Basically, they contain the same functionality.  In this example, I only
wrote one line of code for simplicity of illustration, in reality, there
could be more lines of code but same functionality.  The only difference
is the queue instantiations my_QA and my_QB.  

Question:
Is there a way to write a generic procedure Run_Proc that the two packages 
A and B can use?   Note that the user *does not* need to know my_QA 
and my_QB ie they are private members to A and B respectively and Run_Proc is 
the only interface to the outside world. ie, The user only need to type 
A.Run_Proc(X) or B.Run_Proc(Y).


Thanks in advance.

-- 
Josh Lam
Honeywell Inc
lam@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com
From: obry@flash.bellcore.com (Pascal Obry)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Ada
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:03:20 GMT
Distribution: comp.lang.ada
Organization: /u/obry/.organization



Maybe I was not very clear in my previous message. I receive some mails about
my posting that make me think that. (it's true that it's not very easy to
express his idea in a foreign language). But anyhow, my point was to confirm
that it is somehow our fault if Ada is view like a bad language. I talk
to a lot of peoples and I receive always the same reponse (too big, too hard,
it is for the army ...). My previous message was a reaction to this ...

My key words will be : try it, speak after ...

Pascal.
--

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--  Pascal OBRY								     --
--  Room 2D-337				e_mail : obry@bellcore.com  	     --
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  `` inheritance is surely a good answer, but who knows the question ? ''
From: pdg@crosfield.co.uk (paul goffin)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Ada's (in)visibility and pricing!
Date: 15 Sep 92 07:44:49 GMT
Organization: Crosfield Electronics, Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom.

Why hasn't Ada caught on in engineering?  Well one big reason is cost.

A little while ago, I was involved in flight simulation and we were
facing customer pressure to abandon FORTRAN and go to Ada.

Actually, the pressure wasn't very great.  The Statements of Requirements
always said "A High Level Programming Language will be Used, preferably
Ada".

Well, I believe that Ada has many advantages over Ada and, of course
'C' (which is the other language we used), so I was keen to aid the
change.  (In fact I ended up managing the first Ada project we did.)

So what did I mean by cost?  Well, apart from the training costs
and the cost of setting up development systems that actually used
Ada, (New compiler driving scripts, new way of addressing hardware,
new way of managing "global variables" - Yes, nasty as they are,
you do sometimes have to use global variables in the real world!)
there was a nasty shock in the price of the compilers.

What do I mean by nasty?  Well, we were able to use a FORTRAN
compiler on our systems for a cost of $2000 per project.
(ie per host processor.)

The Ada compiler vendors wanted $30 000 PER SEAT.  We even
had the vendors charging different prices for the same compiler
on different hosts.  ie. A compiler/toolset on a Sun SPARC 1 was
$30 000, while on a Sparc 2, the same software was $40 000.

The attitude of the vendors was "We know you've GOT to use Ada,
so just hand over the blank cheque and we'll let you."

They were, of course, wrong.  The cost (in parerwork etc.)
of getting Ada waivers was generally less than the cost of
the compilers - let alone the training costs etc.

So what do my previous employers do now?  Well they still
use FORTRAN and C, and they fight any requirement to use
Ada.  It just costs too much, and when it comes to it,
their customers - even the military ones - place
their orders on price; Ada is still on the wish list.

So, if you want the Ada market to grow, compiler
vendors, get your prices down!

Paul
-- 
+-------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
+ Paul Goffin +  Crosfield Electronics Ltd. U.K.  +44 442 230000x3357 +
+             +  Opinions expressed are mine! (Yours for a small fee) +
+-------------+-------------------------------------------------------+