Re: STARS Ada OSF/Motif-Binding

Re: STARS Ada OSF/Motif-Binding

[Thomas E. Shields]

--

In article <1549@speedy.ada.cci.de>, rathert@speedy.ada.cci.de (Jochen Rathert)
 writes:
|> I did some work with the STARS Ada-binding for OSF / Motif v1.1.
|> There are some mistakes in this binding. If anyone have experience
|> with this binding, please mail them back to me.
|> 
|> The biggest mistake I've found:
|>     Some OSF / Motif functions allocate memory and give back a
|>     pointer. But the Ada-binding doesn't give this pointer to 
|>     the application and doesn't free itself the allocated memory.
|>     So no one (can) frees the memory.
|>     Function: xm_string_get_l_to_r.
|> 
|> Thanks
|> 
|> Jochen Rathert      rathert@speedy.ada.cci.de (Jochen Rathert)
|> CCI GmbH
|> 4470 Meppen
|> Germany 

First, let me clarify some confusion.  There is no such thing as "the
STARS Ada-binding for OSF / Motif v1.1"!  There never was, and there
never will be.

Now, with that said, I will admit that there is a file "AdaMotif.tar.Z"
on the STARS anonymous FTP archive.  However, this file contains an Ada
Motif binding DONATED to STARS by Boeing Commercial Airplane Company.  The
only reason it is even on that repository is as a political concession
to Boeing, one of the STARS Prime contractors.

Here is the top of the READ_ME file:

--| Welcome to the BCA/STARS MOTIF ADA BINDINGS!!
--| 
--| This software, the  BCA Ada language interface to the OSF/Motif toolkit,
--| produced by the Boeing  Commercial Airplane Company and made available unde
r
--| STARS  (Software Technology  for Adaptable,  Reliable Systems) is  approved
--| for release  under Distribution   "A"  of  the  Scientific  and  Technical
--| Information  Program Classification  Scheme (DoD  Directive 5230.24)  unles
s
--| otherwise  indicated.
--| 
--| These bindings were developed using Motif v. 1.0.1 and have been tested
--| on Verdix Ada v. 5.5 and above running on SCO Unix, DEC Ultrix, and Apollo
--| Domain.

Note that it was developed for Motif v1.0.1, not Motif v1.1, so it wouldn't
surprise me if there were a lot more problems that the one you ran into!

This binding was not developed under STARS funding, and is neither supported
nor necessarily recommended by the STARS Program (nor by Boeing Commercial
Aircraft Company, so far as I know).

I recommend that anyone trying to use this binding throw it away and buy a copy
of the SERC SA-Motif Ada Motif binding product.  I don't know all the details o
f
the cost, but for quantity 5, it was $1995/copy plus $399/year full maintenance
and support (the cost overseas will be higher, no doubt).  This is not an ad
for SERC's product, it is merely a recommendation from those of us who have
"been there".  I realize that this is not easy to swallow after hoping
to use "freeware", however I'm sure we are all aware that "unsupported freeware
"
costs a lot of money when you really get down to trying to use it.  I suspect
that you will save more in time and energy than the cost of the license.

When STARS funding priorities were changed, the Paramax STARS team could
no longer afford to maintain/upgrade the STARS Ada/Xt Toolkit (the only
STARS funded Ada X Windows product) from its current X11R3 Xt / X11R4 Xlib
compatibility level.  We evaluated SA-Motif and ATC's AXI Ada Motif binding
products, and selected SA-Motif.  We are now nearing completion of the
rehost of our Ada X tools from the STARS Ada/Xt Toolkit to SA-Motif.  As soon
as we have completed this rehost, Paramax STARS will be dropping support for th
e
STARS Ada/Xt Toolkit and removing it from the STARS FTP archive (STARS will
probably delete the obsolete Boeing Ada Motif binding from the archive as well,
since it seems causing more public relations trouble that it is worth to make
it available - everyone seems to think it is a STARS approved product).

SERC is committed to supporting all major Ada compiler vendors on all major
platforms with their Motif bindings, which was one of the reasons we chose
SA-Motif (we are attempting to remain as portable as we can with our code).
SERC also has a Motif UIL to Ada translator (which, of course, assumes that the
resulting Ada code will be using their Motif bindings).  You may find that the
AXI bindings suite your needs better (I don't know what the AXI bindings cost,
but they are also sold by Verdix).  I presume that ATC, the AXI developer,
has similar interests in supporting all major Ada compiler vendors, but I
don't remember what the story is there.

If you want to contact SERC, call Scott Cleveland at (415) 962-8092 or
(800) ADA-SERC.  For information on the AXI bindings, contact your local
Verdix sales rep.  I don't have any contact information for ATC.


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   Thomas E. Shields, PhD, CCP          STARS Center - 7670
   former STARS Deputy Program Manager  Paramax Systems Corporation
   (703) 620-7028                                  A Unisys Company
   (703) 620-7916 FAX                   Information Systems
                                        12010 Sunrise Valley Drive
   shields@stars.reston.unisys.com      Reston, VA 22091
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