Re: Ada Dot Net ?

[Al Christians <achrist@easystreet.com>]

I like Ada, but this GUI thing is one where it's not that strong.

moran@acm.org wrote:
> 
>   Have you tried CLAW (Class Library Ada Windows) or its GUI Builder,
You have admitted, haven't you, that you wished that you could add more 
to CLAW, that the set of widgets that CLAW supports is way less than
what comes with some of the more popular products for Windows (eg VB, 
VC++, Delphi)?

> or Object Ada's GUI Builder?

Similarly limited, isn't it? The demo I saw for Object Ada's GUI setup
(some years back) gave a simple little demo that it boasted was 
developed in something like 1/2 day.  Very nice. But it was the kind 
of demo that someone would throw together with the alternative tools 
I mentioned above in about 5 minutes.

> or GWindows

No GUI builder AFAIK.  Doesn't match the other tools (above) for 
number of widgets or ease of use.

> GtkAda or the other tools

Last time I looked at GtkAda, the Windows version of GtkAda depended on
the Windows version of Gtk, and the Windows version of Gtk said that it
was beta or alpha or developers' code, not intended for production use.

My favorite of the Ada GUI tools was RAPID, which gave a very small set
of Tk widgets.  It was real simple and easy to use.  Fine for a program
where you could get by with the very limited set of widgets, ie only
some simple programs, but very usable and competitive in time required 
to make an app. But not a match for Delphi if you want to do a high-
powered UI.   

The last version of Delphi I bought came with something like 150
widgets/
controls builtin.  I don't think that any of the Ada alternatives you 
mention can come near that.  Then, when I look to buy more, there are 
many many available for Delphi to add on that can be bought cheap or 
downloaded free that install right into the IDE and work just fine right 
away by point and click.  You can find the same for VB or VC++.

This is not a battle that Ada is going to win.  David Botton has the
right idea with Gnatcom.  Use Ada to write the backend logic where Ada
is not at a disadvantage.  Use the high-volume mass market UI tools to
do the UI.  Hook them together.

Al