Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[Ashok P. Nadkarni]

In article <24109020:19:33MM0F@lehigh.bitnet>, MM0F@Lehigh writes...
>Has anyone else received a flyer in the mail from Meridian Software
>Systems announcing their new, low-cost Ada compiler system AdaZ?


I too would like to know how good this software is. Is it only a `toy' 
useful for learning but not much else ? Would it be possible to develop
the same class of applications that can done using MS-C or Turbo C ?

/Ashok Nadkarni

Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[Mike Bell]

>In article <24109020:19:33MM0F@lehigh.bitnet>, MM0F@Lehigh writes...
>Has anyone else received a flyer in the mail from Meridian Software
>Systems announcing their new, low-cost Ada compiler system AdaZ?

A colleague has the flyer too: at $149 for a validated (ACVC1.11)
compiler, implied Borland-like integrated development environment, 
LRM online, etc. it sounds too good to be true...

Has anyone actually seen one? (Or is it vapourware?)

Can anyone summarise the PC Week review mentioned on the flyer?

Are there any performance figures available? 
(none given on the flyer)

Any restrictions omitted from the flyer (eg. maximum program size)?



[NB. The $149 is an *introductory* price - $495 is the regular price]

Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[Ken Hamilton]

In <1990Nov30.134908.8670@sparrms.ists.ca> mb@sparrms.ists.ca (Mike Bell) writes:

>Any restrictions omitted from the flyer (eg. maximum program size)?

I just talked with Linda Souza of MERIDIAN and the two restrictions that
she mentioned was that you could not develop an application which addressed
more that 640K regardless of the amount of memory available. It also uses
the 80286 instruction set, even if your computer is an 80386.

However, I still think it is a good deal for educating one's self. I've 
bought books that almost cost as much.

Ken Hamilton
Senior Systems Engineer
Convex Computer Corporation
email: hamilton@convex.com

Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[Michael Feldman]

In article <17647@shlump.nac.dec.com> nadkarni@ashok.dec.com (Ashok P. Nadkarni) writes:
>
>>Has anyone else received a flyer in the mail from Meridian Software
>>Systems announcing their new, low-cost Ada compiler system AdaZ?
>
>I too would like to know how good this software is. Is it only a `toy' 
>useful for learning but not much else ? Would it be possible to develop
>the same class of applications that can done using MS-C or Turbo C ?
>
The only difference between the $149. AdaZ and the "expensive" 
Meridian system is that AdaZ is real-mode only. For the 386 or protected-
mode code generator you pay more.

This is a REAL Ada system. I know it sounds hard to believe, but it is as
real as any other Ada compiler you'll find. Regarding applications: I see
no reason why you couldn't develop (real-mode) applications just as you
would in C. In the absolute worst case, if there was something you needed
from the machine that AdaZ wouldn;t give you, you could use Meridian's
interface to MS-C, which comes with the system. But given the DOS package
you get, I don't think you'd really need to do that. Whether AdaZ or
TurboC is "better" in any sense, depends on whether you like Ada better
than C or vice versa. Both are genuine software products. I think your
$149. is well spent.

Most Ada compilers are slower (at compile time) than their C counterparts.
This has been discussed at length on this group; it has nothing to do
with AdaZ, only with the different expectations in Ada compilers.
I'd be glad to continue discussions on this by private e-mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prof. Michael Feldman
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-5253
mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[Ashok P. Nadkarni]

In article <1990Nov30.134908.8670@sparrms.ists.ca>, mb@sparrms.ists.ca (Mike Bell) writes...
>A colleague has the flyer too: at $149 for a validated (ACVC1.11)
>compiler, implied Borland-like integrated development environment, 
>LRM online, etc. it sounds too good to be true...
> 
>Can anyone summarise the PC Week review mentioned on the flyer?

Anyone know which issue of PC Week ? I could not find it in any of the back
issues I checked (upto Oct 29, which is all I have).


/Ashok

MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[MM0F]

Has anyone else received a flyer in the mail from Meridian Software
Systems announcing their new, low-cost Ada compiler system AdaZ?
My reason for asking is this:  I would like to buy it, but I would
like some input from anyone who has used the system first.  It may
cost only $150, but times are tight for us would-be Ada programmers
who don't have major corporations to supply us with software!

thanks,
boB Rudis
MM0F@LEHIGH.BITNET

Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[Eric Beser]

I tried it. I like it. The Editor and the ability
to compile/review is nice. 

Its the same compiler as the dos (non-extended mode)
and they cache the editory to memory so you can compile
larger programs. 

I have a couple of gripes. Like lets make the templates
modifiable so that some of us who are using production
code (or writing production code) could write templates
for comments (ala 2167a).

Somebody should give them a turbo pascal to ada translator
and a bgi interface. Its enough to make one quit using
turbo. 

The help facility is "hypertexish" with pointers to the compiler
manual and lrm (for once you don't need the manual by your side)

Anyway, I have it, I am recommending it to my class, and
for $150 bucks for a validated compiler, you can't go wrong.

You don't need to be in the editor to use the compiler.

Enjoy

Eric Beser
Westinghouse Aerospace Software Engineering

The opinions expressed are mine, Mine MINE!

Re: MERIDIAN ADAZ COMPILER

[Terry J. Westley]

In article <659@tron.UUCP> beser@tron.UUCP (Eric Beser) writes:
>
>I tried it. I like it. The Editor and the ability
>to compile/review is nice. 

Can anyone comment on Meridian's Mac compiler?  For $2000, it had better
be good, but I've learned that price is not always a good indicator of
quality.  I've heard that version 1 of this compiler had a lot of
deficiencies.  Is version 2 better?  How's the documentation?

Terry J. Westley
Arvin/Calspan Advanced Technology Center
P.O. Box 400, Buffalo, NY 14225
westley%planck.uucp@acsu.buffalo.edu