Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Dale Stanbrough]

Has anyone any knowledge of whether ACT are likely to release
their programming toolkit (including their editor) for public
distribution?


Dale

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Jeffrey Creem]

I believe at one point (on this list) Robert Dewar indicated that they
would. Typically in the past, public releases of the compiler have followed
the supported release by about 6-10 months.

So, I would expect something pretty soon..

If not, there is always the possibility of someone else releasing the source
after they get it. GPS is GPL.
There is no evidence of that ever happening (in any large fashion) with the
compiler sources so I'd hope for
a public release through either NYU or perhaps via CVS at the libre software
site.



"Dale Stanbrough" <dstanbro@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
news:dstanbro-74B0A8.22414625032003@mec2.bigpond.net.au...
> Has anyone any knowledge of whether ACT are likely to release
> their programming toolkit (including their editor) for public
> distribution?
>
>
> Dale

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Jano]

Jeffrey Creem dice...
> I believe at one point (on this list) Robert Dewar indicated that they
> would. Typically in the past, public releases of the compiler have followed
> the supported release by about 6-10 months.

BTW, some user of GPS could precise if vi-like mode is available inside 
GPS?

-- 
-------------------------
Jano
402450.at.cepsz.unizar.es
-------------------------

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Dominik Madon]

> BTW, some user of GPS could precise if vi-like mode is available inside 
> GPS?

Yes. You can use vi as an external editor.


Dominik

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Stephane Richard]

And where can we find out the progress of this GPS as in when it will be
released under teh GPL?  any URL anywhere?
"Dominik Madon" <dominik@acm.org> wrote in message
news:uhe9q9ubc.fsf@acm.org...
> > BTW, some user of GPS could precise if vi-like mode is available inside
> > GPS?
>
> Yes. You can use vi as an external editor.
>
>
> Dominik

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Stephen Leake]

"Stephane Richard" <stephane.richard@verizon.net> writes:

> And where can we find out the progress of this GPS as in when it will be
> released under teh GPL?  any URL anywhere?

ACT does not make public statements about future release schedules.
Basically, they acknowledge that it is impossible to reliably answer
the question "How long will it take you to find that bug?" :).

At the same time, they do make public releases, approximately once per
year. GPS is available to supported customers now, so if they follow
their previous pattern, it could be available in a public release next
January or so.

I do _not_ speak for ACT; these are _not_ official ACT policies. Just
my observations (in the hopes that this will dampen the "where is GPS"
thread :).

-- 
-- Stephe

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Jeffrey Creem]

You can't find progress posted anywhere.

It IS though however already released under the GPL right now. It is not
just publically available anyplace (nor does the GPL require that it be
publically available)

"Stephane Richard" <stephane.richard@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:Thhga.9577$hB5.1394@nwrdny02.gnilink.net...
> And where can we find out the progress of this GPS as in when it will be
> released under teh GPL?  any URL anywhere?
> "Dominik Madon" <dominik@acm.org> wrote in message
> news:uhe9q9ubc.fsf@acm.org...
> > > BTW, some user of GPS could precise if vi-like mode is available
inside
> > > GPS?
> >
> > Yes. You can use vi as an external editor.
> >
> >
> > Dominik
>
>

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Marin David Condic]

Stephen Leake <Stephen.A.Leake@nasa.gov> wrote in message
news:ubrzy19cz.fsf@nasa.gov...
>
> ACT does not make public statements about future release schedules.
> Basically, they acknowledge that it is impossible to reliably answer
> the question "How long will it take you to find that bug?" :).
>

But.... but.... but.... Isn't it written in Ada?!?!?! There shouldn't BE any
bugs if its written in Ada?!?!?! :-)

Realistically, if they wanted to release things on a schedule, they could.
Once you have a baseline product that basically works, you could aim for
quarterly releases and you just get the snapshot of whatever changes have
been closed out to that point in time. You pick your date of release and
count backwards the time you need to run some sort of regression tests,
write up some documentation, etc., then take a snapshot of your software at
that point and release it.

I suspect that the reasoning has more to do with marketing strategy and
monetary concerns than it does with bug fixes and stability.

MDC
--
======================================================================
Marin David Condic
I work for: http://www.belcan.com/
My project is: http://www.jsf.mil/

Send Replies To: m c o n d i c @ a c m . o r g

    "Going cold turkey isn't as delicious as it sounds."
        -- H. Simpson
======================================================================

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Mark Johnson]

Jeffrey Creem wrote:
> 
> You can't find progress posted anywhere.
> 
> It IS though however already released under the GPL right now. It is not
> just publically available anyplace (nor does the GPL require that it be
> publically available)
> 

I agree with both of these statements. I have my (paid for) copy of GPS
right here w/ source. I also don't have any plans to make it publicly
available either (even though I have the freedom to do so). I'll leave
general release of the product up to ACT to decide.

  --Mark

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Hyman Rosen]

Marin David Condic wrote:
> Once you have a baseline product that basically works, you could aim for
> quarterly releases and you just get the snapshot of whatever changes have
> been closed out to that point in time.

Speaking as a complete outsider, I don't think that's how ACT works.
They work to develop features required by their customers, and they
make releases when they're done.

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Stephen Leake]

"Marin David Condic" <mcondic.auntie.spam@acm.org> writes:

> Stephen Leake <Stephen.A.Leake@nasa.gov> wrote in message
> news:ubrzy19cz.fsf@nasa.gov...
> >
> > ACT does not make public statements about future release schedules.
> > Basically, they acknowledge that it is impossible to reliably answer
> > the question "How long will it take you to find that bug?" :).
> >
> 
> But.... but.... but.... Isn't it written in Ada?!?!?! There shouldn't BE any
> bugs if its written in Ada?!?!?! :-)

:).

> Realistically, if they wanted to release things on a schedule, they
> could. Once you have a baseline product that basically works, 

GPS is not there yet. I don't use it daily, because it has too many
bugs that get in the way.

It also doesn't have enough features to compete with Emacs yet; that's
a closely related issue.

> you could aim for quarterly releases and you just get the snapshot
> of whatever changes have been closed out to that point in time. You
> pick your date of release and count backwards the time you need to
> run some sort of regression tests, write up some documentation,
> etc., then take a snapshot of your software at that point and
> release it.

I believe ACT decides on a feature set as the release trigger, rather
than a date. But as I said earlier, I really don't know.

> I suspect that the reasoning has more to do with marketing strategy and
> monetary concerns than it does with bug fixes and stability.

ACT's marketing strategy works for me: I send them money every year,
instead of some other Ada company :).

-- 
-- Stephe

Re: Gnat GPS to be released to the public?

[Marin David Condic]

Didn't say that this was the way ACT works. Said it is a process that can be
followed.

A company may not choose to work this way. They may have specific objectives
for a software product so that certain new releases encompass certain new
features. However, that has its down sides. A bunch of relatively
insignificant-to-fix bugs may stand on the sidelines for a very long time
waiting for the completion of some big feature. Having a scheduled release
with a snapshot-in-time of the product provides a regular shcedule for the
customers and a process for making a release that happens regularly at known
cost (usually). Along the way, you're giving your customers whatever work
you have completed to that point in time - they don't want to wait forever
for it, do they? Especially when they are paying for it. :-)

ACT can go do whatever it is they like. Its a free country. They have to
decide what makes the most sense for them and their paying customers. Like I
said in the previous post, I don't think the reasons behind their release
schedule have to do with bug fixes or product stability so much as they have
to do with marketing and/or monetary concerns.

MDC
--
======================================================================
Marin David Condic
I work for: http://www.belcan.com/
My project is: http://www.jsf.mil/

Send Replies To: m c o n d i c @ a c m . o r g

    "Going cold turkey isn't as delicious as it sounds."
        -- H. Simpson
======================================================================

Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com> wrote in message
news:1048777572.232814@master.nyc.kbcfp.com...
>
> Speaking as a complete outsider, I don't think that's how ACT works.
> They work to develop features required by their customers, and they
> make releases when they're done.
>