Re: GNAT verses A# for soft-realtime system

["Jeffrey R. Carter" <jrcarter@acm.org>]

Chip and Allie Orange wrote:
> 
> I can purchase a Windows-based PC robot for $5k, and I'd like to learn to 
> program it to do autonomous functions (including realtime image analysis).
> 
> I have a choice of GNAT or A# for my programming environment.

A# is a version of GNAT that targets .net.

If you're willing to pay $5k for your robot, you might be willing to pay 
10% or less of that for a supported compiler. AdaCore doesn't provide 
anything in that price range, but both Aonix and RR SW do.

Whether you go with a supported compiler, or with a free version of GNAT 
(including A#), you have a couple of decisions to make. One is which 
version of Ada you want to use. Only GNAT GPL implements most of the 
most recent version; A# and the commercial compilers implement Ada 95.

The other is the target platform you want to use. Apparently you have a 
Windows target but could also use .net on top of that. Using .net would 
constrain you to A#.

These are not decisions we can make for you. GNAT GPL has some errors in 
the new features, but if you're interested in learning the new version 
of Ada, that might be the way you want to go. If you'd rather have 
support and Ada 95 is acceptable, a commercial compiler would probably 
be your choice. If you'd like to use existing .net SW, A# would be the 
way to go.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the War Room!"
Dr. Strangelove
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