Re: Looking for Ada source browser

["Marc A. Criley" <mcqada@earthlink.net>]

Joe Wheadon wrote:
> 
> I am looking for an Ada Source Browser, preferably able to run on a
> PC/Windows platform and also Solaris 2.5.1 platform, suitable for
> browsing source code of  projects, each with a few hundred source
> modules spread over a multi-branch project-specific filetree.  Ideal
> would be something written in Java, for portability and ease of
> customisation.  Source editing would be nice-to-have.  In any case the
> tool should be extensible.  The main point is to have convenient
> navigation through the source code (or a representation thereof),
> following references to packages, subprograms, data,  etc.  No other
> special capabilities or integration with other tools (eg CM...) are
> needed.  The Browser must be usable independently of any particular
> compiler system.  The Ada is MIL-STD-1815A   Ada83.
> Can someone recommend a good FREE package for this ?

Except for the "FREE" part, Scientific Toolwork's "Understand for Ada"
(http://www.scitools.com/uada.html) meets all the functional
requirements you specified--and does much more.  It's not written in
Java, but it does provide an API for extension and customization.

U4A is one of the few reverse engineering tools I've ever used that
actually lives up to its advertising.  I can't say enough good things
about it, and I've merely been a totally satisfied customer.  U4A does
provide a free download that can be used for a 15 day trial.  Oh, and
the customer support is phenomenal.

If you insist on Free, about the only thing I know of is Emacs with the
Ada-mode and the GNAT compiler.  This of course requires that you be
able to run your software through GNAT to extract cross-referencing
information.  In effect, doing a GNAT port, at least enough to get most
everything to compile.  This can be done--I've done it, but U4A is much
quicker and easier.

Marc A. Criley
Senior Staff Engineer
Quadrus Corporation
www.quadruscorp.com