Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[David Botton]

I put up an example of how to control Internet Explorer using Ada:

http://www.adapower.com/os/win32-ie.html

This also is a quick example on how to use BindCOM to create Ada bindings to
COM objects and OLE Automation Servers (as in the case of Internet
Explorer).

David Botton

Re: Ada takes control.../Ada OS

[Nick Roberts]

With respect, I think we can do a lot better than an Ada version of Linux,
although it might be a good stepping stone.

I'm currently working on the basic design of an OS that'll be significantly
superior (more modular, better designed, more efficient, object oriented,
proper security, NATO PCTE compatible, etc.) and as soon as I get the time
(I'm nearly done with the overview) I'll be putting details on the AdaPower
site (Labs/OS in Ada).

-------------------------------------
Nick Roberts
http://www.adapower.com/lab/adaos
-------------------------------------

Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[Ted Dennison]

Cool. Now let's have Ada steer it into the sun!



Sorry...I think I need to go reread the "kindness" thread until I
achieve enlightenment.

--
T.E.D.


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Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[Ted Dennison]

In article <7rb94q$30dk$1@news.gate.net>,
  "David Botton" <David@Botton.com> wrote:
> The plan
>
> 1. Get Ada to 'rock' on NT better then VB and VC++
> 2. Get people to switch to Ada
> 3. Write an Ada OS
> 4. Move the world from Win32 to AdaOS128+ :)
>
> Actually I mostly use FreeBSD (BTW AdaPower runs on FreeBSD), but the
masses
> are on Win32 and need shepherding :)

The funny thing is that I mostly use NT, but my perspective is quite
different.

I think the "masses" that are on Win32 are users, who generally don't
know and could care less what language was used for their software. Of
course that means that the most development goes on there too. But
that's mostly folks who are writing code because they *have* to.

The real action appears to be on the OpenSource Unix OS's. If you win
the hearts and minds of those developers, the rest of the world will
inexorably follow. With that in mind, my plan would be.

1. Start implementing useful OpenSource Software utilities in Ada until
Ada is an established "alternate language" for OSS development.
2. Start implementing device drivers and kernel plugins in Ada, until
that is also an unexceptional practice.
3. Start subverting the Linux kernel itself by submitting patches in
Ada...

By the end of this process you will have an entire OS written in
Ada...and it will be Linux. Plus now that Ada is routinely used in all
this cutting-edge OSS work, it will be an easy sell for commercial
projects.

But as I said, we have two different perspectives. And anyway, perhaps
its best if this problem gets attacked in multiple directions at once.

--
T.E.D.


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Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[David Botton]

Working on it... give me time....

The plan

1. Get Ada to 'rock' on NT better then VB and VC++
2. Get people to switch to Ada
3. Write an Ada OS
4. Move the world from Win32 to AdaOS128+ :)

Actually I mostly use FreeBSD (BTW AdaPower runs on FreeBSD), but the masses
are on Win32 and need shepherding :)

David Botton


Ted Dennison wrote in message <7rb4g6$cj6$1@nnrp1.deja.com>...
>Cool. Now let's have Ada steer it into the sun!
>
>Sorry...I think I need to go reread the "kindness" thread until I
>achieve enlightenment.

Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[Preben Randhol]

"David Botton" <David@Botton.com> writes:

| 3. Write an Ada OS

I would rather have more Ada apps that uses GTK :-)

| Actually I mostly use FreeBSD (BTW AdaPower runs on FreeBSD), but the masses
| are on Win32 and need shepherding :)

Linux is nice too. ;-)

-- 
Preben Randhol                       iEmacs is my favourite editor<ESC>
[randhol@pvv.org] 	             0cwVim<ESC>
[http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/]                        -- vim editor

Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[David Botton]

Preben Randhol wrote in message ...
>| 3. Write an Ada OS
>
>I would rather have more Ada apps that uses GTK :-)


I wouldn't GTK is written in C. When I am done with the COM stuff, I'll be
back to my all __Ada__ GUI framework and then we can discuss if GTK is worth
bothering with.

Re: Ada takes control.../Ada OS

[Robert Dewar]

In article <37d98df8@eeyore.callnetuk.com>,
  "Nick Roberts" <nickroberts@callnetuk.com> wrote:
> With respect, I think we can do a lot better than an Ada
version of Linux,
> although it might be a good stepping stone.
>
> I'm currently working on the basic design of an OS that'll be
significantly
> superior (more modular, better designed, more efficient,
object oriented,
> proper security, NATO PCTE compatible, etc.) and as soon as I
get the time
> (I'm nearly done with the overview) I'll be putting details on
the AdaPower
> site (Labs/OS in Ada).

Is this before or after you complete work on your wonderful
full language optimizing Ada compiler? :-)


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Re: Ada takes control.../Ada OS

[Nick Roberts]

After, so I'm not advising anyone to hold their breath!

Indeed the full-language, highly optimising (multi-target, I've now decided)
Ada compiler, complete with CORBA support, SQL module support, ASIS support,
full garbage collection (gentle dig :-) etc., comes only after the nearly
full (draft ISO standard) Prolog interpreter. So we're talking long-term
project here. Nevertheless, a march of thousand miles ...

-------------------------------------
Nick Roberts
http://www.adapower.com/lab/adaos
-------------------------------------

Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:7rcc9b$amk$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
[...]
| > I'm currently working on the basic design of an OS that'll be
| significantly
| > superior (more modular, better designed, more efficient,
| object oriented,
| > proper security, NATO PCTE compatible, etc.) and as soon as I
| get the time
| > (I'm nearly done with the overview) I'll be putting details on
| the AdaPower
| > site (Labs/OS in Ada).
|
| Is this before or after you complete work on your wonderful
| full language optimizing Ada compiler? :-)

Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[Brian Rogoff]

On Fri, 10 Sep 1999, David Botton wrote:
> Preben Randhol wrote in message ...
> >| 3. Write an Ada OS
> >
> >I would rather have more Ada apps that uses GTK :-)
> 
> I wouldn't GTK is written in C. When I am done with the COM stuff, I'll be
> back to my all __Ada__ GUI framework and then we can discuss if GTK is worth
> bothering with.

I think the fact that GTK is written in C is not really relevant. It seems
to be a decent windows toolkit and the Ada binding is not too bad either. 
Rather than go off starting projects that have little hope of ever
succeeding it makes more sense to tackle some smaller Ada projects which 
have a greater reward to work ratio. Since GTK has a lot of momentum, I'd 
think something like a RAPID/GTK-Ada port (which appears to be in the
works!) would be useful. Your "all Ada" framework would talk to a C
windowing API at some level, right?

Another useful tool would be something like Python's os module, to make 
portable access to a hierarchical file system in Ada easier. By "portable" 
I mean that the Ada source to do a directory traversing program like 
Unix "find", should not change between Unix, Windows, and Macintosh, at
least. Once again, this would involve binding to C-APIs. Since most of the 
OSes out there have C-APIs to useful functionality, C is most definitely 
worth bothering with IMO!

-- Brian

Re: Ada takes control.../Ada OS

[Fraser Wilson]

paene lacrimavi postquam "Nick Roberts" <nickroberts@callnetuk.com> scripsit:

>Indeed the full-language, highly optimising (multi-target, I've now decided)
>Ada compiler, complete with CORBA support, SQL module support, ASIS support,
>full garbage collection (gentle dig :-) etc., comes only after the nearly
>full (draft ISO standard) Prolog interpreter.

For Prolog, have you seen http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/research/mercury/ ?

It's fast, and the guys involved in the project are really nice.

regards,
Fraser.

Re: Ada takes control.../Ada OS

[Robert Dewar]

In article <37dbd144@eeyore.callnetuk.com>,
  "Nick Roberts" <nickroberts@callnetuk.com> wrote:
> After, so I'm not advising anyone to hold their breath!
>
> Indeed the full-language, highly optimising (multi-target,
I've now decided)
> Ada compiler, complete with CORBA support, SQL module support,
ASIS support,
> full garbage collection (gentle dig :-) etc.

I think it only counts as a gentle dig *after* you have
delivered it :-)


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Re: Ada takes control.../Ada OS

[Ted Dennison]

In article <37d98df8@eeyore.callnetuk.com>,
  "Nick Roberts" <nickroberts@callnetuk.com> wrote:
> With respect, I think we can do a lot better than an Ada version of
Linux,
> although it might be a good stepping stone.

True. I failed to put any further steps after that one, due to the fact
that I was already getting dizzy at the towering heights of speculation
to which I had climbed. :-)

--
T.E.D.


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Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[Martin C. Carlisle]

Actually, a RAPID/GTK-Ada port is indeed in progress, and when it
is complete (I suspect in the Oct-Dec timeframe), it will make the third
port (Tcl/Tk and JVM being the first two).

RAPID is a GPL'd GUI builder, and contributions are certainly welcome.
One nice feature is that RAPID's user interface is designed using itself,
which simplifies extending it.
See ftp://ftp.usafa.af.mil/pub/dfcs/carlisle/usafa/rapid/index.html
for more info (or use the http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/languages/ada mirror)

--Martin

In article <Pine.BSF.4.10.9909121035160.24475-100000@shell5.ba.best.com>,
Brian Rogoff  <bpr@shell5.ba.best.com> wrote:
>On Fri, 10 Sep 1999, David Botton wrote:
>> Preben Randhol wrote in message ...
>have a greater reward to work ratio. Since GTK has a lot of momentum, I'd 
>think something like a RAPID/GTK-Ada port (which appears to be in the
>works!) would be useful. Your "all Ada" framework would talk to a C
>windowing API at some level, right?
-- 
Martin C. Carlisle, Asst Prof of Computer Science, US Air Force Academy
carlislem@acm.org, http://www.usafa.af.mil/dfcs/bios/carlisle.html
DISCLAIMER:  This content in no way reflects the opinions, standards or 
policy of the US Air Force Academy or the United States Government.

Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[Ian Thomson]

David Botton wrote:
> 
> Preben Randhol wrote in message ...
> >| 3. Write an Ada OS
> >
> >I would rather have more Ada apps that uses GTK :-)
> 
> I wouldn't GTK is written in C. When I am done with the COM stuff, I'll be
> back to my all __Ada__ GUI framework and then we can discuss if GTK is worth
> bothering with.

Having used GTK with Ada I must say that i'd rather run the
risk of relying on C, than requiring MS IE and therefore an
MS OS....  ;-)
______________________________________________________
                   Ian Thomson

   it103@york.ac.uk -- www-users.york.ac.uk/~it103/ 
_____you don't need eyes to see - you need vision_____

Re: Ada takes control of Internet Explorer

[David Botton]

Brian Rogoff wrote in message ...
>I think the fact that GTK is written in C is not really relevant.

It is to me, I am not eager to partner my Ada code with the villan :-)

> It seems
>to be a decent windows toolkit and the Ada binding is not too bad either.

I have only played around a little with it, but the key here is I want to
think in Ada not just write Ada code.

C style frameworks are just C code in Ada clothing.

>Rather than go off starting projects that have little hope of ever
>succeeding it makes more sense to tackle some smaller Ada projects which
>have a greater reward to work ratio.

I have always found the important part is where you heart is, sort of like
art. Success and reward are different for each of us.

As far as the reward and success of the Ada community is concerned, a
person's passion to produce open source code and knowledge will inspire
others in the community and it matters not what project they choose, just
that they do it.

I always hope that AdaPower for example will inspire others to produce
reusable Ada code and to share knowledge, but the reason I created it was
for my personal use. I don't know how many people use AdaPower as a regular
resource, but I certainly do.

> Since GTK has a lot of momentum, I'd
>think something like a RAPID/GTK-Ada port (which appears to be in the
>works!) would be useful. Your "all Ada" framework would talk to a C
>windowing API at some level, right?


On some platforms. On the JVM, it is Java, and one day perhaps on an AdaOS,
with Ada. I even had an offer from some one to work on porting the framework
to use GTK :-)

>Another useful tool would be something like Python's os module, to make
>portable access to a hierarchical file system in Ada easier.

Maybe I'll do it one day in the future if some one else, perhaps yourself,
doesn't do it first.

David Botton