From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,ca21162c929cc36f X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: jmatthews@nova.wright.edu (Dr. John B. Matthews) Subject: Re: Better MacOS Handles through Ada (was: Implementing Pointers to Pointe Date: 1996/09/14 Message-ID: <1996Sep14.150138@nova.wright.edu>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 180621202 references: <511sp9$ogs@newsbf02.news.aol.com> <3235E2C3.636F@itg-sepg.logicon.com> <1996Sep12.144206@nova.wright.edu> <1996Sep13.080055.1@eisner> organization: Wright State University newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1996-09-14T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <1996Sep13.080055.1@eisner>, kilgallen@eisner.decus.org (Larry Kilgallen) writes: > In article <1996Sep12.144206@nova.wright.edu>, jmatthews@nova.wright.edu (Dr. John B. Matthews) writes: >> [...] >> The ObjectHdl.all.all syntax looks strange at first, but MacOS >> programmers at a recent trade show seemed to have no trouble >> following the sample code we showed them. > > Although I was at what was probably the trade show to which you > allude, I did not discuss that aspect of Ada bindings with you. > I would maintain, however, that that construct is quite obvious > to anyone who has had to struggle with MacOS programming in any > other language. It was a pleasure to have met you at the show! That particualr construct, ObjectHdl.all.all, doesn't appear in any of my sample code; it was just something I recall trying while tinkering with the compiler & bindings. > [...] > I do not mean to suggest that what has been done to date is > improper -- certainly allowing MacOS programmers to emulate > their activities in previous languages is a good start, but > Ada has the capability to provide something better, hiding > some really arcane OS behaviour from programmers who have > more interest in correctness and productivity than winning > a MacOS trivia contest. I agree. I was particularly intrigued by the potential for tools like AppMaker (a GUI-oriented, multi-language code generator from Bowers Development) to be adapted to Ada. Another approach would be a class library. I'd heard of an effort along this line, but never tracked it down. Anybody? John ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. John B. Matthews jmatthews@nova.wright.edu; john_matthews@ccmail.dayton.saic.com "Whom the gods would destroy, they first invite to program in C"