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From: kilgallen@eisner.decus.org (Larry Kilgallen)
Subject: Re: Ada callable from Visual Basic?
Date: 1997/10/20
Message-ID: <1997Oct19.222329.1@eisner>#1/1
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References: <62calr$hsk$1@tsunami.traveller.com>
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Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-10-20T00:00:00+00:00
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In article <62calr$hsk$1@tsunami.traveller.com>, "Dave Smith" <dksmith@traveller.com> writes:

> I know there are Ada bindings to Win32, but bindings a RAD tool do
> not make (although bindings are still useful, since Win32 is not *only*
> a GUI layer).  I know there are compiler vendors (Aonix) out there that
> include Win32 GUI builders in their tools (prices not advertised,

I agree that covert pricing is bad, but the pricing itself is not
that bad.

> multi-level price offerings, uh-oh!!!), BUT WHY??  Visual Basic is a
> perfectly good GUI builder, and it will always have direct access to
> the latest Win32 controls.  Ada vendors need to get out of the
> mainstream GUI business.  To be fair,  Ada DOES need the ability to
> build custom ActiveX controls in order to compete with Visual C++.

So for you ActiveX is important, but for me it is not.  The reverse
could be true for GUI building.

> Ada compiler vendors need to ADVERTISE the fact that GUI
> development is best left to a Visual Basic or Delphi, and concentrate
> their marketing & development dollars on exposing C++'s
> weaknesses.

A requirement to mix tools is a very bad message to advertise.
Strong fans of any language want the ability to build a complete
application in that language That is different from saying that
they will always choose to do it that way.  The choice should be
one made due to the nature of the problem rather than tools availablity.
> 
> To look at the problem from a different perspective, how sure am
> I that Aonix's GUI builder will be alive 12 months from now? Not
> very.  Visual Basic's?  Pretty sure.

And what assurance do you have that the Visual Basic you get in 12
months will be the "same" as the Visual Basic you have today. Just
which standards bodies make Microsoft toe the line on compatibility.
This week press reports make it seem that not even a legal contract
with Sun will make Microsoft stick to a language definition.

Larry Kilgallen