Visual Basic and ADA95

Visual Basic and ADA95

[Mike Biedronski]

Greetings!

Does anyone have info on how to link VB & ADA applications?  Working on
a single client PC application and would like to use VB for the front
end, and ADA for backend.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance for ay direction you can give!

Mike

ps.  Also, I am not familiar with using the WIN32 API so that's another
constraint.

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Ed Falis]

On Tue, 19 Oct 1999 14:59:48 -0400, Mike Biedronski <michael.biedronski@fmr.com> wrote:
> Greetings!
> 
> Does anyone have info on how to link VB & ADA applications?  Working on
> a single client PC application and would like to use VB for the front
> end, and ADA for backend.
> 
> Thoughts? Suggestions?
>

Create the Ada part as a DLL.  Use the dll stdcall convention for anything
you export (this is what vb uses).  

- Ed

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Vladimir Olensky]

Mike Biedronski wrote in message <380CBFA4.BB241336@fmr.com>...

>Does anyone have info on how to link VB & ADA applications?  Working on
>a single client PC application and would like to use VB for the front
>end, and ADA for backend.


I would prefer to use  Delphi for front end instead of VB for
single PC application. I find Delphi much more convenient
and better  than VB in many respects.

Additional advantage is that Delphi is based on Turbo Pascal
(Borland Pascal OOP extensions) so it is much more closer
to Ada in syntax. It is rather straightforward to translate
TP to Ada and backwards.
Delphi 5 produces fast executables and has a lot of things for
low level programming. It comes with excellent Borland
database engine (BDE) and CORBA components.
There are huge number of ready to use components.
So considering all that  Delphi is much better choice than VB.

As for communicating between front  end and Ada core
system there are several options:

1. "Tight" integration.
   To build either part (Ada or front end) as DLL and call it from
 the other part of the system.  This was already mentioned
 by Ed Falis.

2. "Loose" integration:
Build both parts as separate applications and communicate
between them using sockets, named pipes, or CORBA.
Last option has  been successfully used in many applications.
Using "loose" integration both parts of the system can run
 independently on  the same or on different machines.
 Such approach may be compared with the monitor  and system
 block of the PC.   You may turn of and turn on your monitor
 but  the core system   will continue  to perform it's  functions
 regardless of that.

2.1. Use Java for front end and use sockets ("loose") or JNI ("tight")
 to communicate between core system and user interface.
 In this case your application could be designed to be portable
 across many platforms. You may use any browser
 on any PC to run you user interface to core system if user interface
 part was built as Java applet.

I think that the last approach is the best choice. It allows to combine
all the best form Ada and Java  technologies and has great future.
Please also note that some Ada compilers are able directly produce
Java byte code (Averstar Applet Magic and soon ??? GNAT).
Using last ones you can do Java part using  Ada.


Regards,
Vladimir Olensky

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Vladimir Olensky]

Vladimir Olensky wrote in message ...
>
>Mike Biedronski wrote in message <380CBFA4.BB241336@fmr.com>...
>
>>Does anyone have info on how to link VB & ADA applications?  Working on
>>a single client PC application and would like to use VB for the front
>>end, and ADA for backend.
>
>
>I would prefer to use  Delphi for front end instead of VB for
>single PC application. I find Delphi much more convenient
>and better  than VB in many respects.


Some more additional arguments in favor of Delphi over VB:

1. It will be soon available for Linux developers :
MS VB  will never run on Linux.

Extras from    http://www.borland.com/about/press/1999/linuxdev.html :
=================================================
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. -- Sept. 28, 1999 -- Inprise Corporation
(Nasdaq: INPR), today announced that it is developing a high
performance Linux application development environment that
 will support C, C++, and Delphi development. The project,
code named "Kylix", is set for release next year and will be
one of the first high performance Rapid Application
Development (RAD) development tools for the Linux platform.


"Inprise is moving forward to deliver application development
software for the Linux platform," said Dale Fuller, interim president
 and CEO of Inprise Corporation. "We believe Project Kylix will
 define rapid application development for Linux and deliver a fast
 and powerful path for professional application development
 on the Linux platform. With the strong heritage of Delphi and
 C++Builder behind Project Kylix, speed to market for developing
 applications and porting across Windows and Linux should be
significantly increased."

Project Kylix is currently planned to be a Linux component based
 development environment for two-way visual development of
graphical user interface (GUI), Internet, database, and server
applications. Plans are for Project Kylix to be powered by
a new high-speed native C/C++/Delphi compiler for Linux
and will implement a Linux version of the Borland VCL (Visual
Component Library) architecture. The Borland VCL for Linux
will be designed to radically speed native Linux application
development and simplify the porting of Delphi and C++Builder
 applications between Windows and Linux.
 ==============================================

2. Easy to use:
>> Also, I am not familiar with using the WIN32 API so that's another
constraint.

Using Delphi you do not need to know much about Win32 APIs unless
you want to use them directly for some reasons. Almost all of them
are wrapped into ready and very easy to use classes in VCL which is
very thick  bindings to Win APIs . So the use of that components
 will be the same on Windows and later on Linux platforms.

Regards,
Vladimir Olensky

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Gautier]

> Additional advantage is that Delphi is based on Turbo Pascal
> (Borland Pascal OOP extensions) so it is much more closer
> to Ada in syntax. It is rather straightforward to translate
> TP to Ada and backwards.

I recall that a TP -> Ada translator based on P2Ada
remains @
  ftp://nedcu4.unine.ch/incoming/gautier/newp2ada.zip
for a while.

There are many things to add or fix (I can't for now)
but all ingredients are in the archive to improve it...

-- 
Gautier

_____\\________________\_______\
http://members.xoom.com/gdemont/

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Ray Blaak]

"Vladimir Olensky" <vladimir_olensky@yahoo.com> writes:
> Mike Biedronski wrote in message <380CBFA4.BB241336@fmr.com>...
> As for communicating between front  end and Ada core
> system there are several options:
> 
> 1. [DLL]
> 2. [sockets, pipes, CORBA]
> 2.1 [java and sockets/JNI]

If I had to do it I would use the DLL approach, but an ActiveX
(i.e. automation) DLL, rather than a direct DLL.

This gives a loose binding similar to CORBA, but is much more natural to use on
a Windows platform with VB than any of the other choices mentioned so far
(assuming, of course, that you require VB for the front end).

The only other missing piece is an ActiveX buillder for Ada to generate
automation (COM) interfaces for a DLL. Check out http://www.adapower.com/com
for one. There may be others (may the Windows GNAT documentation?).


-- 
Cheers,                                        The Rhythm is around me,
                                               The Rhythm has control.
Ray Blaak                                      The Rhythm is inside me,
blaak@infomatch.com                            The Rhythm has my soul.

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Vladimir Olensky]

Robert Dewar wrote in message <7um9ga$dn9$1@nnrp1.deja.com>...
>In article <s0r1172gr0150@corp.supernews.com>,
>  "Vladimir Olensky" <vladimir_olensky@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> MS VB  will never run on Linux.
>
>And whence cometh this information? I suppose it is just an
>uninformed guess. I would not count on it!


Yes, you are right.  It is just guess that we won't see Microsoft VB
on Linux in near future. (may be  word "never" is too strong :-).
Third party products for Windows  -  maybe.
I might be wrong. Let's wait and see.

Regards,
Vladimir Olensky

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Vladimir Olensky]

Ray Blaak wrote in message ...
>"Vladimir Olensky" <vladimir_olensky@yahoo.com> writes:
>> Mike Biedronski wrote in message <380CBFA4.BB241336@fmr.com>...
>> As for communicating between front  end and Ada core
>> system there are several options:
>>
>> 1. [DLL]
>> 2. [sockets, pipes, CORBA]
>> 2.1 [java and sockets/JNI]
>
>If I had to do it I would use the DLL approach, but an ActiveX
>(i.e. automation) DLL, rather than a direct DLL.


Yes, this is also very good option.

>
>This gives a loose binding similar to CORBA, but is much more natural to
use on
>a Windows platform with VB than any of the other choices mentioned so far
>(assuming, of course, that you require VB for the front end).

It is just as natural in Delphi as in VB (may be even more natural than in
VB)
to create and use  ActiveX components.
As far as CORBA concerned  Delphi 5 has visiBroker component
which make it easy to build distributed applications based
on CORBA technology.

Regards,
Vladimir Olensky

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[Robert Dewar]

In article <s0r1172gr0150@corp.supernews.com>,
  "Vladimir Olensky" <vladimir_olensky@yahoo.com> wrote:
> MS VB  will never run on Linux.

And whence cometh this information? I suppose it is just an
uninformed guess. I would not count on it!

In particular a partner of Microsoft has announced a Win32
compatibility mode for Linux. They are likely to be able
to get it to work since they have access to the full sources
of Win32.





Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[David Botton]

The easiest way is to create an Ada COM object 
(http://www.adapower.com/com) and use it as any other COM object from 
VB. I will be posting an example of various ways to integrate Ada with 
VB (using COM) shortly on AdaPower.

David Botton

> Does anyone have info on how to link VB & ADA applications? 

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95

[David Botton]

There is also a VB compatible product for Linux already available. 
(Don't remember the name off hand, but I can look it up if some one 
needs it --- BTW it isn't cheap)

David Botton
 

> MS VB  will never run on Linux.

Re: Visual Basic and ADA95, THANKS ALL!!

[Mike Biedronski]

Thanks everyone for your perspectives.  It helps me greatly.  I might
infact decide to change directions and use Delphi depending on how quickly
I can ramp up on it ...

Thanks again!

David Botton wrote:

> The easiest way is to create an Ada COM object
> (http://www.adapower.com/com) and use it as any other COM object from
> VB. I will be posting an example of various ways to integrate Ada with
> VB (using COM) shortly on AdaPower.
>
> David Botton
>
> > Does anyone have info on how to link VB & ADA applications?