Graphics toolsets for Ada on PCs

Graphics toolsets for Ada on PCs

[Andrew Gibbons]

  I am posting this request for a colleague.  He is working with Ada on
an IBM PC compatible.  He would like to know of any toolsets available for
creating graphical user interfaces to be incorporated into Ada programs.  He
is working with the Meridian Ada compiler, though he also has access to the
Alsys and Janus compilers. 
  Any responses may be mailed directly to my colleague at wussow@cci.de or
if people prefer to post their responses, I will gather them together for
him.
  Thanks in advance.
                        Andy.

Re: Graphics toolsets for Ada on PCs

[David M. Tannen]

In article <C4CHA8.MrD@speedy.cci.de> gibbons@speedy.cci.de (Andrew Gibbons) writes:
>
>  I am posting this request for a colleague.  He is working with Ada on
>an IBM PC compatible.  He would like to know of any toolsets available for
>creating graphical user interfaces to be incorporated into Ada programs.  He
>is working with the Meridian Ada compiler, though he also has access to the
>Alsys and Janus compilers. 
>  Any responses may be mailed directly to my colleague at wussow@cci.de or
>if people prefer to post their responses, I will gather them together for
>him.
>  Thanks in advance.
>                        Andy.
Here are some possiblities:
	Micro-GKS/Ada
	Software Technology Inc
	1511 Park Avenue
	Melbourne, Fl 32901

	Halo
	Media Cybernetics, Inc
	8484 Georgia Avenue
	Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
	
	Screen Machine
	Objective Interface Systems
	1895 Preston White Drive
	Suite 250
	Reston, Virginia 22091-5448

	Janus/Ada Windows Toolkit
	R.R. Software Inc
	415 West Main
	Madison WI 53703

	Meridian Ada/Windows +SDK Toolkit
	10 Pasteur Street
	Irvine, CA 92718


I have actually used Screen Machine in the MS-DOS environment (Meridian
and Alsys).  It is easy to use and generates easy to understand code.
Its big drawback is that it is character mode.  A _BIG_ plus is that the
GUI portion of your code is portable to other environments that SM
supports (i.e. OSF/Motif).

I would recommend that if your friend is trying to write a MS-Windows
application that he look into Borland Pascal v7.0.  Although Ada is a
superior language to Pascal, Borland's toolset and the tools you can buy
make BP a superior work environment for Windows development.  This is
based on my real experience.  I have been able to get farther in the
past month with BP than I was able to do with my MS-DOS Ada development
tools. 

I would prefer to work in Ada, but until some vendor provides me with
the equivalent environment that BP does, I will stick with BP in the
MS-DOS world.

David Tannen
tannend@source.asset.com
Practical Computing Solutions

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-- "Dependence on wizardry to mitgate the fundamental limitations of
--  software is called 'hacking'."  Grady Booch
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Re: Graphics toolsets for Ada on PCs

[Michael Clark]

Oh, such an excellent research project.  I have been trying to locate
similar toolsets for use with the Janus compiler package.  My work involves
designing a Heads-Up-Display for a Pegasus missile simulator, and I must
say that the search for good graphical user interfacing packages has been
weak.  I am a true believer in Ada, and I see the need to develop complex
graphics packages.  There is virtually no reason why they are few and far
between, as every other major programming language has one that is easily
accessible.
My only advice is to check with R.R. Software and get their bulletin board
number out of Wisconsin.  There is a GRAPHICS directory including all 
graphics packages that the folks there have kindly compiled for public 
download.  One in particular, ADAGRAPH.ZIP, is very will written, although
it does not include the capability to write both text and graphics on
a graphics screen (which is truly limiting.)  I think you'll find the board
to be of some use.
I would appreciate any info you find, and if you'd be so kind as to keep
me updated I'll join the search with you.

			- Mike Clark
			  clarkm@slab.pr.erau.edu