MS-Windows compiler review and Ada 'myopia'

MS-Windows compiler review and Ada 'myopia'

[David Emery]

The latest issue of IEEE Computer (June 93, pp 108-111) has a review
of two Ada compilers (Meridian and Janus).  The author, Frank Pappas,
complained about the Windows API thin bindings included with the two
compilers.  He said, "...I think it was a mistake for [the compiler
vendors] to hav deefined their own interfaces.  What's needed is a
common, high-level Ada binding for Windows, which will probably come
about only if someone at the Department of Defense is willing to pay
for it - something that should be done soon!"

Well, I have several problems with this.  As Mike Feldman and Greg
Aharonian, among others, have pointed out, a problem with the Ada
business is that they seem to wait for the DoD to pay for everything.
I agree that a 'common' MS-Windows API binding would be a very good
thing, but I don't think that we should sit back and wait until "Uncle
Sugar" pays for it.  If there's sufficient interest, then certainly
the vendors and interested users can get together and develop a
'standard' Windows Ada binding.  I'm sure that ACM SIGAda would be
willing to sponsor a working group to facilitate this discussion
(although ACM does not develop standards, so the 'product' of such a
group would need some other mechanism for formal standardization.) 

Besides, I don't agree that it is in the DoD's interests to fund the
Ada binding to MS-Windows.  Windows is a very proprietary API, owned
by MicroSoft.  The current DoD trend is away from such proprietary
interfaces, and towards open, standard interfaces.  I think it is much
more appropriate (and important) for DoD to sponsor X Windows, etc.
bindings, and in particular a binding to IEEE draft 1295.1 (MOTIF).
With respect to MS-Windows, it'll be interesting to watch the Sun
effort to develop a 'standard' Windows API that is not proprietary to
MicroSoft. 

				dave

Re: MS-Windows compiler review and Ada 'myopia'

[Bill Yow]

In article <EMERY.93Jun11090948@goldfinger.mitre.org>, emery@goldfinger.mitre.o
rg (David Emery) writes:
|> The latest issue of IEEE Computer (June 93, pp 108-111) has a review
|> of two Ada compilers (Meridian and Janus).  The author, Frank Pappas,
|> complained about the Windows API thin bindings included with the two
|> compilers.  He said, "...I think it was a mistake for [the compiler
|> vendors] to hav deefined their own interfaces.  What's needed is a
|> common, high-level Ada binding for Windows,

No No No,  We need a common high-level binding to a generic windowing system.

That way, if I write UI code to that binding it works on Windows, X or whatever
else comes down the road.  This can also hide different vendor's low level
bindings to Windows or X.

And yes the Windows 3.x bindings are very ugly!

Anybody intrested in such a binding? 

                                                Later,
                                                Bill Yow
                                                (713) 280-1591
                                                yow@pat.mdc.com
                                                byow@mcimail.com

My opinions are my own!