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From: "David Botton" <dbotton@hotmail.com>
Subject: Ada free RAD tools development
Date: 1999/01/29
Message-ID: <01be4b2d$c172f2a0$0a18b70a@DBHP>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 438173883
Organization: CyberGate, Inc.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1999-01-29T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

Interested in the creation of a Delphi like environment for Ada, read on:

Work has already begun in this monumental project.

1. GUI Classes
2. RAD tools

1. Gui Classes
===========

A complete cross platform (slated for X, Win32, and JVM) set of GUI classes
are being implemented which will be the foundation of the frame work for
RAD development.

The following classes are already up on Win32:
	GWindow - General top level window and basis for all windows and controls
	GCanvas - A drawing canvas for Windows, bitmaps, etc.
	GButton
	GLabel
	GPanel
	GText_Box

A specific control GActiveX for using ActiveX controls on Win32 already has
some promise. (Much more to go)

There is a working calculator example application and examples of using, 
the canvas, dynamic creation, the controls, using call backs at the library
level, and the GNAT specific Unrestricted_Access to get around this
restriction.

The classes support extension through inheritance and through "call back"
subroutines.

Known of the controls uses Windows widgets, but instead is hand painted and
controlled through the frame work allowing for consistent look and feel on
all platforms. In addition, the second layer of classes that are being
planned for extended RAD use will support pluggable "skins" for look and
feel.

For more information contact David Botton (David@Botton.com) or post to
c.l.a., to contribute suggestions, ideas, or to help.

It is the intention that these classes will work on any Ada 95 compiler
supporting the xlib, java.awt or Win32 bindings. Although work is currently
only being done using GNAT.


2. RAD tools
==========

Martin Carlisle is working on using the GUI classes for his next version of
RAPID. ftp://ftp.usafa.af.mil/pub/dfcs/carlisle/usafa/rapid/index.html

RAPID - Rapid Ada Portable Interface Design Tool

The will allow programmers to easily create a GUI using the above classes
for their applications by simply drawing them.

For more information contact Martin Carlisle.


Future
=====

Once the initial foundations are set, a project plan will be put together
for the creation of a full blown RAD tool, component architecture, database
support, reporting tools, OOD tools, and much more.


What you can do
============

Even if you can not contribute time to code, write documentation, design
icons, etc. Maybe you can help by adding your ideas and answers to
questions like:

What features would you like to see in a product like this?
What products already exist that could be integrated with this?
What is your dream IDE? Details!
How could we get companies to contribute hardware, compilers, bindings,
etc. to get this done quicker and cheaper?

You want the killer App to ride the Linux wave, here it is!