* Public Ada Library (with VHDL support) FAQ
@ 1995-03-13 11:09 Prof R Conn
0 siblings, 0 replies; 2+ messages in thread
From: Prof R Conn @ 1995-03-13 11:09 UTC (permalink / raw)
Archive-name: computer-lang/Ada/pal-vhdl-faq
Date of this FAQ: Monday, March 13, 1995
Public Ada Library (PAL) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Posting Frequency: Monthly
The Public Ada Library (PAL) is a library of Ada and VHDL software,
courseware, and documentation on the wuarchive.wustl.edu host computer
(VHDL stands for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware
Description Language). This FAQ addresses the following questions:
. What is New since the last PAL FAQ?
. What is the Public Ada Library (PAL)?
. In a Nutshell, What is in the PAL?
. What is WUARCHIVE?
. What Electronic Mailing Lists Support the Users of the PAL?
. What Documentation is Available to Help the PAL User?
. Is the Software in the PAL Free of Defects?
. What is Certifier_1 and What Certification is Done?
. What are Review Codes?
. How Do I Handle the Various Types of Files in the PAL?
. How Can I Get to the Items in the PAL?
. What Are Some Useful World Wide Web Home Pages?
. How Do I Work with ZIP Files and MAC Binary Files in the PAL from my MAC?
. How Can I Submit an Item to the PAL?
This file can be fount on rtfm.mit.edu under the parent directory
pub/usenet/news.answers ... the Archive Name given above indicates
the subdirectory.
Questions about this FAQ? Suggestions for improvement? Gripes?
Contact:
Richard Conn, Manager, Public Ada Library (PAL)
conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu
=======================================================
Subject: What is New since the last PAL FAQ?
Added March 12, 1995:
Information on the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)
New archive name: computer-lang/Ada/pal-vhdl-faq
General revision
=======================================================
Subject: What is the Public Ada Library?
Welcome to the Public Ada Library (PAL)
Last Update: March 12, 1994
The Public Ada Library (PAL) is a library of Ada software, courseware,
and documentation on the Internet-based host computer named
wuarchive.wustl.edu (WUARCHIVE). The PAL is located in the directories
languages/ada and languages/vhdl if you access WUARCHIVE by FTP, archie,
gopher, the World Wide Web, or FTPMAIL, or in the directories
/archive/languages/ada and /archive/languages/vhdl if you access
WUARCHIVE by NFS. The PAL reached the following milestones as
indicated:
Milestone Date
----------------------------------------------- -------------------
Initial Operational Capability June 21, 1993
Voluntary Basis
Washington University Provided Resources
Funded in part by the National Science
Foundation with Educational Grant from
Digital Equipment Corporation
Washington University Office of the Network
Coordinator Sponsorship
Activity Statistics Gathering Started September 1, 1993
Gopher Access Enabled January 1, 1994
Periodic CDROM Fabrication Process Started March 1, 1994
Funding Provided by Defense Information Systems March 28, 1994
Agency through the Army's Communications-
Electronics Command Software Engineering
Directorate
Certification Process Started (Certifier_1) June 1, 1994
HyperText Transport Protocol Access Enabled July 1, 1994
PAL Exceeded 1 Billion Bytes in Size September 30, 1994
The purposes of the PAL are:
. to help make Ada-oriented and VHDL-oriented* software, courseware,
and documentation that has been released for public distribution
(as shareware, freeware, GNU Copyleft, etc) readily available
. to support Ada and VHDL educators by providing a convenient
mechanism for them to exchange material and ideas
. to support the Ada and VHDL user community in general by
providing a resource in support of their activities
* VHDL stands for VHSIC Hardware Description Language, where VHSIC
stands for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit
The PAL, which is located in the directory trees languages/ada and
languages/vhdl on WUARCHIVE, is actually seven collections of material
in one:
1. the languages/ada/ajpo tree is a mirror** of the public area of
the ajpo.sei.cmu.edu host computer; this collection is maintained
by the Ada Information Clearinghouse (AdaIC) under the direction of
the Ada Joint Program Office
2. the languages/ada/sei tree is a mirror** of the public area of the
ftp.sei.cmu.edu host computer; this collection is maintained by
the Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
3. the languages/ada/asr tree is the principal copy of the Ada Software
Repository (ASR) on wsmr-simtel20.army.mil; the ASR is no longer
actively maintained; documentation on the languages/ada/asr tree is
found in the languages/ada/asr/mindex directory as the Master Index
document (files are named *.ch, containing chapters of the document)
and in the PAL Catalog and PAL Card Catalog
4. the languages/ada/sage tree is a mirror** of the public area of the
sageftp.inel.gov host computer; this collection is maintained by the
Idaho National Engineering Lab (INEL)
5. the languages/ada/compiler/gnat/distrib tree is a mirror** of the public
area of the cs.nyu.edu host computer; this collection is maintained
by the GNU NYU Ada95 Translator (GNAT) project
6. the languages/vhdl tree is a mirror** of the VHDL Repository at the
University of Cincinnati, host uceng.uc.edu; this collection is
maintained by Dr. Harold Carter of the Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering at the University of Cincinnati
7. the rest of the languages/ada tree is the part of the PAL managed
by the manager of the PAL; documentation is found in the directory
languages/ada/userdocs/catalog, which contains the PAL Catalog,
PAL LOTUS-123 and dBase IV compatible database files, and other
forms of catalog information on the PAL
** A mirror is a copy of a remote system, such as the public area of
ftp.sei.cmu.edu, in a tree within the PAL. This copy is automatically
updated within 24 hours. Documentation of the mirror is scattered
throughout the tree itself and in the PAL Catalog and PAL Card Catalog.
WUARCHIVE is supported by the Office of the Network Coordinator,
Washington University in Saint Louis. Funding for WUARCHIVE is provided
by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of the Network
Coordinator. The PAL is supported with funding provided by the Ada
Joint Program Office (AJPO) under the DoD's Defense Information Systems
Agency (DISA). The contract for the PAL support was awarded to Monmouth
College in West Long Branch, New Jersey, through the Army's
Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineeering
Directorate (SED).
Many organizations have developed cooperative relationships with the
PAL, contributing time, effort, user support services, and artifacts to
the PAL and its users either directly or indirectly. These
organizations include:
the Ada Joint Program Office (AJPO)
the Ada Information Clearinghouse (AdaIC)
the Ada and Software Engineering Education Team (ASEET)
the Army Reuse Center (ARC)
the Army's Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) Software
Engineering Directorate (SED)
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications,
and Intelligence (ASD/C3I)
the Asset Source for Software Engineering Technology (ASSET)
the Comprehensive Approach to Reusable Defense Software (CARDS)
Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers (CNAM) in Paris, France
the DoD's Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
the Electronic Library Services and Applications (ELSA, formerly AdaNET)
the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL)
the Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
the Software Reuse Repository at the University of Maine
the Special Interest Group for Ada of the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM/SIGAda)
Team Ada
the VHDL Repository at the University of Cincinnati
Walnut Creek CDROM
The PAL can be accessed by a wide variety of mechanisms. These
mechanisms include, but are not limited to, the following:
. FTP to WUARCHIVE itself (up to 250 simultaneous FTP users)
. NFS mounts on WUARCHIVE
. Gopher servers
. HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) servers for the World Wide Web
. FTPMAIL email servers
. CDROM distributions
. ELSA distributions and customer support
. ASSET distributions and customer support
. CARDS distributions and customer support
. ARC distributions and customer support
To begin using the PAL, read the 0FAQ file (posted on USENET and
available in the languages/ada subdirectory). This is a
frequently-asked questions list. It is highly recommended that users
obtain the current PAL Catalog (named PALCAT.DOC in the subdirectory
languages/ada/userdocs/catalog) or the PAL Card Catalog (found in the
subdirectory languages/toolkit/all in the file CARDCAT.ZIP) as well.
The PAL Card Catalog is a program and database you can install on your
local computer if you have a validated Ada compiler; it contains the
same information as the PAL Catalog.
If you are reading this from the top level of the Walnut Creek Ada CDROM
from an MSDOS or equivalent platform, you may execute the batch file
GO.BAT to run the interactive PAL Card Catalog or the batch file
SHOW.BAT to run an interactive, animated introduction to the PAL.
Finally, also in languages/ada is the file 0MANIFEST, which gives a
top-level view of the contents of the PAL.
Users wishing to access the PAL by FTP can use anonymous FTP to contact
the main PAL host (wuarchive.wustl.edu) or the PAL mirror sites
(ftp.cnam.fr and ftp.cdrom.com). The languages/ada tree on wuarchive
corresponds to the pub/Ada/PAL tree on cnam and the pub/languages/ada
tree on cdrom. Two hosts support access to the PAL as gopher servers:
wuarchive.wustl.edu and gopher.wustl.edu. The host wuarchive.wustl.edu
also supports an HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) server for users of
the World Wide Web.
See the section of the PAL FAQ entitled "How Can I Get to the Items
in the PAL?" for more details.
General Disclaimer
------------------
All software, courseware, documentation, and other items of information
in the PAL are provided "AS IS" without any expressed or implied
warranties whatsoever unless their individual documentation states
otherwise. No warranties as to performance, merchantability, or fitness
for a particular purpose exist.
Because of the diversity of conditions under which this software may be
used, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered. The
user is advised to test the software and courseware thoroughly before
relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk and liability of
using this software, courseware, and documentation.
In no event shall any person or organization be held responsible for any
direct, indirect, consequential, or inconsequential damages or lost
profits.
Richard Conn
Manager, PAL
conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu
=======================================================
Subject: In a Nutshell, What is in the PAL?
Manifest of the Public Ada Library (PAL)
Richard Conn
12 March 1995
This manifest is divided into two parts: a brief overview and a more
detailed overview.
BRIEF OVERVIEW
Ada83 Compilers (3 for DOS, 2 for MAC) - NYU Ada/Ed, GWU Ada/Ed,
Small Ada
Ada95 Compilers - AVL Ada95 and GNU NYU Ada95 Translator (GNAT)
Ada83 and Ada95 Information, Rationale, and Reference Manuals (including
a hypertext version of the Ada83 LRM and interactive online versions
of the Ada83 and Ada95 Reference Manuals)
Ada Bindings (to X11R4, GKS, POSIX, SQL) and Interfaces (ASIS, IRDS, PCIS)
Reusable Ada Software Components
Ada Software Development Tools (including AdaSAGE)
SEI's Capability Maturity Model
Software for Ada Compiler Evaluation and Benchmarks (including ACES, ACVC,
and PIWG)
Ada, Software Engineering, Domain Engineering, OOD, and OOP Courses
(including an interactive Ada83 tutor and an interactive Ada95 tutor)
Technical reports on Ada, Software Engineering, Domain Engineering,
OOD, OOP, and Reuse
DETAILED OVERVIEW
The PAL is divided into 7 sections:
1. AJPO
Ada95 Information, Rationale, and Reference Manual
Ada83 Information, Rationale, and Reference Manual
General information files on Ada standards, policies, and projects
Ada Success Stories
Ada Technology Insertion Programs
Ada Style Guide
Catalog of Resources for Education in Ada and Software Engineering
(CREASE)
Software for Ada Compiler Evaluation
Ada Compiler Evaluation Suite (ACES)
Ada Compiler Validation Capability (ACVC)
Performance Issues Working Group (PIWG) benchmarks
Evaluation and Validation working group information
2. GNU NYU Ada95 Translator
Ada95 Compiler and Targets for many platforms
3. SEI
ACVC draft for Ada95
Technical reports from the SEI from 1987 to the present
4. AdaSAGE
Binaries and documentation to run AdaSAGE on PCs
Source code to AdaSAGE
Various ports of AdaSAGE
5. ASR - all source code written in Ada83
Several libraries of reusable Ada components, including math libraries
Ada mode for GNU Emacs
Ada bindings (several)
Ada compiler benchmark suites
Tools to support Ada software development
Communication tools, including TCP/IP, FTP, and TELNET in Ada
Wide variety of tools written in Ada
6. VHDL
VHDL and ANAVHDL Documents and General Information
VHDL Validation
VHDL Cookbook (a text on VHDL)
VHDL Grammar
Several VHDL Models
Armstrong VHDL examples
7. PAL-Managed
Ada95 Compilers
AVL Ada95 Compiler
Ada83 Compilers
New York University Ada/Ed for DOS
George Washington University Ada/Ed and environment for DOS and MAC
George Washington University Small Ada for DOS and MAC
Ada bindings
Ada Courseware
Software Engineering with Ada
Object-Oriented Design with Ada
Object-Oriented Programming with Ada
Software Reuse
Ada Programming Lab
Interactive Ada83 Tutor
Interactive Ada95 Tutor
Much more
Large body of Ada- and reuse-oriented documentation
Interactive Online Ada Language Reference Manuals
for Ada83
for Ada95
Several collections of reusable Ada software components
Several Ada software development toolsets
Catalog of the entire Public Ada Library (over 1,800 pages)
in text, Postscript, and interactive reader forms
Database files of the entire Public Ada Library (catalog information
extracted for use by Lotus-123 or DBase IV)
See the PAL Catalog or PAL Card Catalog for more detailed information,
including a taxonomy and an index.
=======================================================
Subject: What is WUARCHIVE?
Last Update: September 30, 1994
The host computer named wuarchive.wustl.edu (WUARCHIVE) is a Digital
Equipment Corporation (DEC) Alpha AXP 3000 Model 400. It is equipped
with 192M bytes of RAM and over 50G bytes of disk space, and it is able
to support up to 250 simultaneous anonymous FTP sessions, many remote NFS
mounts, a gopher server, and an HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol)
server for the World Wide Web.
WUARCHIVE is owned by the Office of the Network Coordinator, Washington
University in Saint Louis. It is supported out of the budget of the
Office of the Network Coordinator and by a grant from the National
Science Foundation. The Office of the Network Coordinator and the
National Science Foundation have jointly paid for the hardware of the
machine and for the services of the support personnel at Washington
University in Saint Louis.
The maintainers of the archives which originate on WUARCHIVE are
volunteers, working on an unfunded basis. The support personnel who
maintain the operational support software, including the software
which keeps the mirrors up to date, are funded by the Office of the
Network Coordinator and the National Science Foundation grant.
We wish to express our gratitude to Digital Equipment Corporation for
the sale of the DEC Alpha at a substantial discount and to the National
Science Foundation for its grant in support of WUARCHIVE.
=======================================================
Subject: What Electronic Mailing Lists Support PAL Users?
Last Update: January 6, 1995
WUNET.WUSTL.EDU is the electronic mail list server for users of the
Public Ada Library. A separate computer from WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU (on
which the PAL is located), WUNET's purpose in life from the point of
view of the PAL user is to manage the electronic mailing lists
supporting him.
The List Server is a program on WUNET which manages Lists (Electronic
Mailing Lists). The user can send commands to the List Server, and it
will respond by performing actions for him (such as adding him to a
List, removing him from a List, and sending him a message naming all the
lists supported by the List Server). The user can send email messages
to the List, and the subscribers to the List will receive these
messages.
To find out what commands the List Server can respond to, send an email
message to
listserv@wunet.wustl.edu
which contains an empty subject line and one line in the body of the
message (starting in the first column):
help
If you wish to subscribe to an electronic mailing list, send an
electronic mail message to:
listserv@wunet.wustl.edu
Leave the subject line blank and place the following line into the body
of this message:
subscribe <electronic mailing list name>
Example:
subscribe pal-announce
Begin this line in column 1. Your return address will be used as the
address to which announcements will be sent. A list of the electronic
mailing lists for the PAL user community is included below.
You will receive a message back from the listserv software, telling you
of the success or failure of your request.
Once subscribed, a user can send electronic mail to all subscribers of a
List by sending email to the list's name at wunet.wustl.edu; example:
ada-train@wunet.wustl.edu
This, of course, only works if the List is bidirectional. The ANNOUNCE
Lists are unidirectional (read-only from the point of view of the
subscribers). Subscribers cannot post email messages to the ANNOUNCE
lists - only the moderator of the ANNOUNCE lists can post messages.
A partial list of electronic mailing lists available from
listserv@wunet.wustl.edu
---------------------------------------------------------
These lists are for the PAL user community. For a more complete list of
the mailing lists available to your site, send a mail message to
listserv@wunet.wustl.edu which contains the command "DIR/LISTS".
Wuarchive-Announce - Notification of any planned downtime or service
changes for wuarchive.wustl.edu. The only announcements from this
list will be from local staff or archivers.
Pal-Announce - Announcements concerning the Public Ada Library
(PAL). These include additions to, changes to and other
announcements concerning the PAL. You can not post messages here.
Ada-Train - This list is for the discussion of topics concerning Ada
training and education. This is a general discussion list.
EducationWG - This list is a bidirectional mailing list for those
people interested in participating in the Education Working group
of ACM/SIGAda. It is used to exchange information about the
activities of the working group and coordinate those activities.
ASEET - The ASEET email list supports members of ASEET (The Ada and
Software Engineering Education Team) and others interested in the
activities of ASEET. ASEET materials are available from the
Public Ada Library (PAL), including an archive of previous messages
posted to this list.
Reuse - This list is a bidirectional mailing list for those people
interested in software reuse technology. This includes, but is
not limited to, the fields of designing for reuse, object-oriented
reuse methods, reuse tools and environments, generic code
architectures, domain-specific kits, reuse education, technology
transfer, formal methods, certification of reusable components,
and management issues as they pertain to reuse.
ReuseWG - This list is a bidirectional mailing list for those people
interested in participating in the Reuse Working Group of
ACM/SIGAda. It is used to exchange information about the
activities of the working group and coordinate those activities.
=======================================================
Subject: What Documentation is Available to Help the PAL User?
Last Update: June 6, 1994
The subdirectory userdocs/catalog in the PAL contains a number of
documents of interest to the users of the PAL. The key user documents
in this subdirectory are:
CAT_DOC.ZIP and CAT_PS.ZIP - a catalog, complete with table of
contents and index, of the contents of the PAL in the form
of a book; CAT_DOC.ZIP contains the chapters as ASCII text,
CAT_PS.ZIP contains the chapters as Postscript files that
print 2 pages per physical page in landscape (1/2 the number
of hardcopy pages required by CAT_DOC.ZIP)
TAXONOMY.ZIP - a taxonomy of the PAL in ASCII and Postscript
CSV_DB.ZIP - contains a Comma-Separated-Value (CSV) ASCII
text file which can be read into database managers like
dBase IV and spreadsheets like LOTUS 1-2-3 to allow the user
to scan for items of interest offline; the contents of this
ZIP file are CSV_DB.DOC and CSV_HDR.DOC, where DB contains the
data and HDR contains structure information
The subdirectory userdocs/catalog/id_files contains the Item Description
files from which the above files were created. Item Description files
exist for each item in the PAL. The subdirectory
userdocs/catalog/c1_rpts contains certification reports generated by the
Certifier 1 program on all Ada source code in the PAL. File names in
id_files and c1_rpts which have the same prefix refer to the same item.
The subdirectory userdocs/faqfile in the PAL contains the PAL Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ) list:
PAL.FAQ -- the Frequently Asked Questions list
Other files in the userdocs/catalog and userdocs/faqfile subdirectories
are used to create these key files. Additionally, the user is invited
to look in the following directories for additional useful information:
userdocs/alt_srcs -- alternate sources to the items in the PAL
userdocs/internet -- information on using the Internet
userdocs/internet/email -- archives of the PAL email lists
Public Ada Library (PAL) Card Catalog
-------------------------------------
The Public Ada Library Card Catalog is an interactive browser that
presents all the information in the PAL Catalog:
1. A top-level view of the entire Public Ada Library
2. Descriptions of all the items in the Public Ada Library, including
abstracts, locations of files, author information, and release and
copyright information
3. An extensive index and taxonomy
The PAL Card Catalog also includes the complete text of the current PAL
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list and online help. The file
QSTART.TXT is a short (10 minute) tutorial on how to use the PAL Card
Catalog.
The directory languages/ada/toolkit/all contains CARDCAT.ZIP, a ZIP file
which contains the source code to the PAL Card Catalog along with
instructions for installing it on any system supported by an Ada83
compiler. A validated Ada83 compiler and CS Parts are required to
perform the installation. CS Parts can be found under the directory
languages/ada/swcomps/csparts.
The directory languages/ada/toolkit/msdos/cardcat contains ccat_pc.zip,
a ZIP file which contains the files in the runme subdirectory. The
files in ccat_pc.zip are ready to run under MSDOS.
=======================================================
Subject: Is the Software in PAL Free of Defects?
Last Update: June 21, 1993
The software in the PAL is an outstanding collection from all over the
world, but it comes with a warning: like any such collection, there are
outstanding items, good items, average items, and poor items. This
software contains items which are really useful, items which you cannot
live without, and items which simply may not work in your environment.
So you, as a user, must not come into this thinking that everything is
perfect.
So how do you know in advance what software is good and what is bad?
Study. This problem has come up over and over again with the Ada
Software Repository (ASR), and I answered this by adding a REVIEW CODE
field to all the items in the ASR Master Index. Chapter 1 of the Master
Index gives the keys for this field (e.g., CS means Compiled
Successfully, ES means Executed Successfully, NR means Not Rated (I
don't know if it is good or bad), etc.). Every item in the Master Index
book has an associated REVIEW CODE field. Look at this when you
consider using the item. Also, look for Comment (CMM) files throughout
the ASR. They tell success/problem stories. They are text files, so
you can just read them. Finally, if you find an item marked with a CS
and ES, note the compilers/platforms noted with this mark (e.g., CS(DEC
Ada), etc.). If a number of compilers/platforms are named, you probably
have a very portable item.
The PAL has a document called the PAL Catalog (similar in nature to the
Master Index of the ASR). The PAL Catalog has a similar REVIEW CODE
field, and CMM files are also support in the PAL. In phase 2 of the
PAL, one or more automated static code analysis tools will be used to
analyze the Ada source code in the PAL and report on it.
=======================================================
Subject: What is Certifier_1 and What Certification is Done?
Last Update: June 6, 1994
The second stage in the development of the Public Ada Library (PAL)
has begun with the introduction of the concept of certification to the
Ada source code in the library. A program, Certifier_1, has been
created that will be initially used to evaluate all Ada source code
submitted to the PAL. Certifier_1 has the ability to analyze thousands
of files in a single pass, checking on their interdependencies. It
ranks the files it is asked to analyze as OK or NOT OK and assigns a
letter grade to the system (A, B, or C is OK, D and F are NOT OK).
Certifier_1 contains a lexical analyzer and a parser for the Ada83
language. A grade of F is assigned to the system if syntax or lexical
errors are encountered. Certifier_1 also builds an internal data
structure describing the interdependencies of the library units and
subunits. If stubs (subunit bodies) are missing and there are no syntax
or lexical errors, a grade of D is assigned to the system indicating
that major parts of it are missing. This is not necessarily bad; the
Abstractions library from Intermetrics, for instance, received a letter
grade of D because of missing subunits, but, when the Intermetrics
Standards Checker was evaluated with Abstractions, the Standards Checker
code filled in the missing subunits, giving the combined Standards
Checker and Abstractions system a grade of A.
Certifier_1 also checks on compiler-specific pragmas, the use of
machine code, and the withing of library units that are not a part of
the analyzed code. It awards lower grades (B and C) if all else is OK
and one of these issues comes up. A grade of a B or a C may or may not
mean there is a problem. Compiler-specific library units may be
employed, causing the lower grade, for example. Also, it may be
possible to raise the grade by including another components library,
like CS Parts or New Abstractions, in the evaluation to fill in the
missing library units. However, a B or a C may also mean that code
has been omitted.
Certifier_1 generates two reports: a report for inclusion in the PAL
database entry on the item and a log file which describes details on the
problems encountered, including line numbers and file names on or near
which the problems can be found. Log reports can be found for each item
in the PAL by checking in the directory
languages/ada/userdocs/catalog/c1_rpts. Reports are named after the
items on which they report; ada_sda.c1, for instance, is the report
associated with the Software ID file ada_sda.sid.
Certifier_1 is by no means a final solution to the problem of
certification of reusable software in a library. However, it is a
start. It does not beat a compiler by any means, but it does provide
a quick, first-look solution. It does not determine logical errors or
problems with completeness. Many things can slip through Certifier_1,
but, likewise, many things do not. It is a first step.
Richard Conn
Manager, Public Ada Library
Author, Certifier_1
=======================================================
Subject: What are Review Codes?
Last Update: June 6, 1994
The database maintained on the PAL includes Review Codes which
are used to indicate to some extent the level of trust which may be
placed in a particular item. These Review Codes are defined as follows:
Code Meaning
---- -------
AR AdaNET Report is available (usually in the ZIP file); AdaNET
Reports contain information on experiences in compiling this
item
C1 The Certifier_1 tool has analyzed the Ada source code in this
item; the full format of this entry is "C1 n.n g" where n.n is
the version number of Certifier_1 and g is the letter grade
given by Certifier_1 (A, B, and C are satisfactory; D and F are
not satisfactory)
CMM Comment Files (*.CMM, *.CM2, etc) are available which describe
one or more problems with the item
CS Compiled Successfully (followed by an indication of the
Ada compiler used in parentheses) by the reviewer
ES Executed Successfully (followed by an indication of the
target computer used in parentheses if different from the
systems mentioned in the CS list) by the reviewer
MF-CODE Missing File - Code; one or more files of source code are
missing; the item cannot be compiled without these files
MF-DATA Missing File - Data; one or more files used as input data when
the compiled code runs are missing; the item cannot be
executed without these files
NR Not Reviewed
OK This is a text file which is believed to be an accurate copy
of the original
RI Review Incomplete (only some results of a partial review
are posted)
SDA Report generated by the Ada System Dependency Analyzer is
available; if followed by a number from 1 to 5 (e.g., SDA5),
the number indicates the relative quality of the item, where
5 is of the highest quality
not negation prefix (e.g., not ES or not OK)
=======================================================
Subject: How Do I Handle the Various Types of Files in PAL?
Last Update: November 12, 1994
A number of file formats have come into play among the files in the PAL:
MSDOS and UNIX ASCII text files
PAGER2 Files
ZIP Files
GNU ZIP Files
TAR Files
Compressed (*.Z) Files
Compressed or GNU ZIPped TAR Files
If you have questions about these file formats, see the file README.TOO
in the top level of the the toolkit directory. The subdirectories under
the toolkit directory contain programs for various platforms that allow
you to work with these files in various ways.
=======================================================
Subject: How Can I Get to the Items in the PAL?
PAL Alternate Sources Tree
Richard Conn, 30 September 1994
conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu
The PAL can be accessed directly via FTP, NFS, gopher, and the World
Wide Web using the wuarchive.wustl.edu host computer. For users
interested in a general background on the Internet and the techniques
for using FTP, NFS, gopher, and the World Wide Web, see the PAL
subdirectory userdocs/internet for documentation and pointers to books.
This userdocs/alt_srcs tree contains information about companies and
organizations that provide support in some way to the PAL user community
through value-added services and products. Some users of PAL may not
have access to PAL directly via FTP and NFS, so the following
information is presented to help them find alternate ways of accessing
the PAL.
Examples of such services are:
1. The donation of equipment to Washington University at St. Louis
that is used by PAL
2. The sale of consulting services to the PAL user community to answer
questions about PAL and help users locate items they are looking for
in PAL or other resources
Examples of such products are:
1. The sale of CDROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, etc., that contain
a copy of PAL in an alternate form, making it possible for people
who do not have Internet or email archive server access to obtain
a copy of the items in PAL
2. The sale of computer accounts that place users on the Internet so
they can access PAL
Companies and organizations wishing to be added to this tree are invited
to send email describing their services or products to me at the above
email address. I will work with them to provide "free advertising" space
in PAL under this tree so users of PAL can be made aware of their
services and products. I reserve the right to edit material provided by
these companies in the event that this material violates some known law,
public sensibilities, or the like.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/adaed_email.txt
GWU Ada/Ed Email List
Last Update: 12 October 1994
An automated mailing list for discussions about the GWU Ada/Ed
compiler/interpreter/debugger/editor environment is available
through listproc@seas.gwu.edu. To use the list, you must first
subscribe. Send an email message to listproc@seas.gwu.edu.
The subject line must be empty, and the message body should
contain three lines as follows:
help
help set
subscribe gw-adaed firstname lastname
The first two lines will get you help messages indicating how to
use the various options listproc provides. The third line
subscribes you to the list.
Once you get an email acknowledgement of your subscription, you can
write to the list by sending email to gw-adaed@seas.gwu.edu.
In messages to the list, do not leave the subject line empty.
Questions? Contact Mike Feldman, mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/archie.txt
Getting Started with Archie
Derived from: HELP for the archie email server, as of 10 April, 1993.
Last Update: 30 September 1994
To get started with using archie to retrieve files from the Public
Ada Library (or any of about 800 archives on the Internet, for that
matter), send an email message with a subject of "help" and a body
of "help" (no quotes in either the subject or body) to:
archie@<archie_server>
<archie_server> is the name of an archie host. The current (and
complete) list of archie servers can be found with the "servers" command
(described in the help message). A sample list is:
archie.rutgers.edu 128.6.18.15 (USA)
archie.unl.edu 129.93.1.14 (USA)
archie.sura.net 128.167.254.179 (USA)
archie.ans.net 147.225.1.2 (USA)
archie.au 139.130.4.6 (Australia)
archie.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 (European server in Finland)
archie.sogang.ac.kr 163.239.1.11 (Korea)
If you do not get mail back within 2 days or so, try using one of the
other archie sites.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/asp.txt
Association on Shareware Professionals (ASP)
Last Update: 12 March 1995
ASP, the Association of Shareware Professionals, was formed in April
1987 to strengthen the future of shareware (user supported software) as
an alternative to commercial software. Its members, all of whom are
programmers who subscribe to a code of ethics or are non-programmers
sincerely interested in the advancement of shareware, are committed to
the concept of shareware as a method of marketing.
ASP's primary goals are:
o To inform users about shareware programs and about shareware as a
method of distributing and marketing software;
o To encourage broader distribution of shareware through user groups and
disk dealers who agree to identify and explain the nature of shareware;
o To assist members in marketing their software;
o To provide a forum through which ASP members may communicate, share
ideas, and learn from each other; and
o To foster a high degree of professionalism among shareware authors by
setting programming, marketing and support standards for ASP members to
follow.
DOS and Windows Shareware on CD-ROM
Whether your computing interests range from business and finance to
education and games, or computers and religion, there's a new CD-ROM
containing the latest, high-quality DOS and Windows Shareware programs
that might meet your needs. The programs have passed the stringent
quality and virus protection standards mandated by the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP) and you can try them before you buy them.
The ASP Advantage CD-ROM, Second Edition, $24.95 (plus $2 shipping),
contains approximately 1,000 programs that will do everything from
balance your checkbook, compare home refinancing rates, print addresses
onto labels, master elementary school math and spelling, or shoot
aliens.
"ASP Shareware programs are every bit as good as programs you can buy in
a retail store. The only difference is the marketing method. With retail
software, you have to buy it and then try it. With Shareware, you try it
and if you like it, you buy it," said Eric Robichaud, chairman of the
board of ASP. Satisfied users send payments directly to the software
publisher and usually receive additional benefits, such as expanded
documentation, free utilities, discounts on upgrades to future editions
or complementary products and technical support. The cost of the disk
covers only the manufacturing and distribution costs, not the purchase
prices of the individual programs. "Your payment supports the
publishers, enabling them to continue writing newer and better Shareware
programs."
The CD-ROM is available from leading software stores or directly from
ASP (see phone number below) and will be updated quarterly with all new
programs. To operate the disc, your computer should be running DOS 3.0
or greater, a hard drive, CD-ROM drive and any monitor.
A special version of the disc is available for BBS operators. It
contains the files in compressed format, so their users can download the
files faster than if the programs were not compressed.
ASP Shareware is available for programs in these categories: business,
communications, education, engineering, finance, games (arcade, card,
word, other), graphics, home hobby, mathematics, programming, philosophy
and religion, utilities and writing.
All programs meet the ASP standards, which means that all programs are
full, working versions, not demo or "crippled" versions; and that the
publishers provide full documentation. All these assurances guarantee
users will not become orphaned users, and will have support when they
need it.
Founded in 1987, the ASP is the largest trade group of software
publishers, with more than 1,700 members. The ASP grew at a 70 percent
rate in the past 1 1/2 years, from 1,000 members. Sales of Shareware are
estimated at $250,266,000 in 1992.
For more information on the ASP or to contact the ASP Ombudsman, write to:
Association of Shareware Professionals
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI USA 49442-9427
FAX 616-788-2765
Eric Robichaud: 401-767-3106
CDROM Sales only: 616-788-5131
You can also contact the Ombudsman on CompuServe via an electronic mail
message to 70007,3536.
More information on ASP can be found in the PAL:
languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/bbsapp3d.zip
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/belgium.txt
The Ada-Belgium Archive
Last Update: 5 October 1994
An enormous amount of Ada-related information, compilers, tools, etc.
is freely available on several archive sites abroad (mainly the U.S.A.)
for electronic transfer.
One of the aims of the Ada-Belgium organization is to disseminate
Ada-related information. So, in addition to the organization of
seminars, workshops, etc., and the publication of our newsletter, we
are also setting up such an Ada archive for people and companies in
Belgium. This enables everyone interested, to consult and download
all this software and documents using an ftp and e-mail server in
Belgium, thus without the need to use (expensive) international
connections.
Ada-Belgium acquired a CDROM drive, which is available via the archive.
The drive currently contains the July 1994 version of the Ada CDROM,
i.e. a copy of the Internet's Public Ada Library (PAL) as of July 1994
(620 MB of Ada documentation, information, and source code).
Due to the large interest in the GNU-Ada compiler GNAT (GNU NYU Ada 9X
Translator), and the rapid succession of new releases, we have added an
automatically updated mirror of the original GNAT distribution directory
to the Ada-Belgium ftp archive.
The archive is available via:
- the Ada-Belgium WWW home-page (World Wide Web)
http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~dirk/ada-belgium/
- the FTP-server of the K.U.Leuven Computer Science Department
ftp://ftp.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/pub/Ada-Belgium
- an e-mail server for people without ftp-access.
For more information, send a message
To: mail-server@cs.kuleuven.ac.be
Subject:
begin
help
dir Ada-Belgium
send Ada-Belgium/README
end
The Ada-Belgium archive is primarily intended for the Belgian Ada
community, but anyone interested is welcome to use it. The archive
currently only contains the Ada CDROM and the GNU-Ada mirror.
Your help is appreciated!
-------------------------
We are still looking for sponsors of a large disk, so we can mirror the
PAL (and other Ada archives) directly.
If you are in a position to help us to expand this Ada server for
Belgium, e.g. by providing some hardware (a large disk drive, a server
machine, etc.), please contact me.
Acknowledgements:
-----------------
The Department of Computer Science of the K.U.Leuven in Belgium kindly
provides the computer resources to run the Ada-Belgium WWW/ftp/e-mail
servers and associated mailing lists; and our sponsors provide the means
to make Ada-Belgium possible.
Ada-Belgium sponsors: (in alphabetical order)
---------------------
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven)
Koninklijke Militaire School / Ecole Royale Militaire (K.M.S./E.R.M.)
Offis N.V./S.A.
Trasys N.V./S.A
Universite' Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.)
=========================================================
Dirk Craeynest (Team Ada)
Ada-Belgium Newsletter Editor | e-mail: dirk@cs.kuleuven.ac.be
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven | dirk@source.asset.com
Department of Computer Science | phone: ++32(0)16-201015 x3575
Celestijnenlaan 200 A | fax: ++32(0)16-205308
B-3001 Leuven (Heverlee), Belgium | http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~dirk
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/cnam.txt
CNAM Mirror of the PAL
Last update: 6 December 1993
The server ftp.cnam.fr (in France) is a mirror site for the Public
Ada Library. Its current address is 163.173.128.6.
This mirror site is available to all who want to access the PAL, but it
is particularly useful to those in Europe. Some statistics on it:
. ftp.cnam.fr is a VAX 6000/510 with Ultrix 4.3. It uses a Renater +
Ebone network with a 2 Mbit/second line.
. The /pub directory contains:
Ada
CNAM
Modulog
Network
Rfc
VMS
incoming
. And the /pub/Ada directory contains:
AJPO
Ada-Ed -- links to PAL/compiler/adaed
CNAM
PAL
Repository -- links to PAL/ASR
. The complete path to PAL is ftp.cnam.fr:/pub/Ada/PAL.
. CNAM mirrors the PAL automatically every day at 2 pm, local time
(UT + 1 or UT + 2, depending on the season).
. CNAM uses the WU ftp server and log every transfer so they can
provide statistics.
. CNAM also mirrors the AJPO host (/pub/Ada/AJPO).
Thanks very much to Stephane and the others working with and supporting
him for this service:
Stephane Bortzmeyer Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers
bortzmeyer@cnam.cnam.fr Laboratoire d'Informatique
292, rue Saint-Martin
tel: +33 (1) 40 27 27 31 75141 Paris Cedex 03
fax: +33 (1) 40 27 27 72 France
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/decus.txt
CDROMs from DECUS
Last Update: 6 December 1993
The Digital Equipment Computer Users' Society (DECUS) is in the
process of systematically making CDROMs of the entire WUARCHIVE,
including the Public Ada Library (PAL). I have been advised that
DECUS intends to create new versions periodically.
You can get an application for membership in the DECUS U.S. Chapter by
calling (508) 841-3500.
Sites which wish to get DECUS CDROMs should contact their DECUS Local
User Group or the DECUS Library at:
DECUS Library
333 South St, SHR1-4/D33
Shrewsbury, MA 01545-4112
(508) 480-3418 / (508) 480-3659 / (508) 480-3446
When contacting DECUS, be sure to check on the date of the CDROM
release.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/elsa.txt
Electronic Library Services and Applications (ELSA)
Last Update: 30 September 1994
Electronic Library Services and Applications (ELSA) project is the
operational part of the Repository Based Software Engineering (RBSE)
program. RBSE is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
sponsored program dedicated to introducing and supporting common,
effective approaches to designing, building, and maintaining software
systems by using existing software assets stored in a specialized
library or repository stands as the program's foundation.
In addition to operating a software repository, RBSE promotes software
engineering technology transfer, academic and instructional support for
reuse programs, the use of common software engineering standards and
practices, software reuse technology research, and interoperability
between reuse libraries/repositories. During its life cycle, the ELSA
project responded to emerging technologies, the growing sophistication
of its client base, and industry trends by advancing the capabilities of
its management software. This ELSA stands as a customer-driven
environment employing an advanced library management mechanism.
ELSE repository contains PAL software and more. In addition, our
Phased Certification Process provides Ada software with value-added
analysis reports, including complexity reports, declaration tree reports
and invocation tree reports. Our non-software information includes
research papers, standards and technical reports authored by
recognized, authoritative sources on software engineering principles and
practices.
Our Client Service team provides timely response to requests for any
component in print or electronic media. Clients can have qualified
software engineers and librarians to assist in locating ELSA and/or
PAL components that satisfy their needs. All of our services are free
of charge.
ELSA clients automatically receive an account on our host which is
connected to Internet. While this does not provide full Internet
access, Internet e-mail facilities are available.
Lastly, MountainNet provides a service, MountainNetWorks, which offers
Internet access at a reasonable rate for individuals and groups.
ELSA was formerly known as AdaNET.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/ftpmail.txt
Anonymous FTP via Electronic Mail
Derived from: HELP for the archie email server
Last update: 10 April 1993
Anonymous FTP may be performed through the mail by various ftp-mail
servers. Send a message with the word 'help' in it to:
For BITNET/EARN sites ONLY:
bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu
or (general access):
ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
for an explanations on how to use them.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/gnatfr.txt
GNAT Mirror in France
Last Update: 12 October 1994
There is a mirror site for GNAT in France, hosted by
Universite Paris VI. URL is ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub/gnat
The mirror updates approximately 24 hours after NYU is
updated. This site contains other items of interest
as well, including the SimTel archives.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/rational.txt
Rational News
Last Update: 6 December 1993
Rational is now offering an online news distribution service that provides
information --press releases, case studies, and so on-- to the general public
using electronic mail. The news is available over the Internet to anyone
interested in receiving it. Subscribers must have access to the Internet
for e-mail (either directly or via a gateway).
Rational will distribute pertinent, timely information that is of interest
to the Ada community. The purpose of this service is to keep Ada
community informed and up to date on Rational's latest product announcements
and developments.
If you would like to receive this information electronically, please contact
Kara Myers at 408-496-3891 or karam@Rational.com with your e-mail address.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/simtel.txt
PAL Interoperation with the SimTel Software Repository
Last Update: 30 September 1994
I am delighted to report that the Public Ada Library (PAL) is now
interoperating with the SimTel Software Repository for MSDOS.
Ada-oriented material targetted for use under MSDOS is now being
distributed by the SimTel Software Repository to its users under its
"ada" directory. The SimTel Software Repository already has directories
for C and C++, so this adds Ada on the same playing field. The Ada
section of the SimTel Software Repository includes MSDOS-based
executables for:
Ada Tutor 3.00 (Ada83 and Ada95 Interactive Tutorial)
GWU Ada/Ed
GNU NYU Ada9x Translator (GNAT)
Ada83 LRM Reader
NASA Ada Pretty Printer
The SimTel Software Repository, run by Coast to Coast Communications,
Inc., as a commercial enterprise, became the home for the MSDOS part of
the old SIMTEL20 collection after WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL was
discontinued about a year ago. The SimTel Software Repository is
available on a 2-CDROM set from Coast-to-Coast Communications and on
various CDROM offerings from a number of vendors, including Walnut Creek
CDROM.
The Ada collection in the SimTel Software Repository is mirrored by the
following 15 sites in 13 countries. Users cannot access the primary
host of the SimTel Software Repository itself.
Rochester, Michigan: oak.oakland.edu (141.210.10.117)
/SimTel/msdos/ada
St. Louis, Missouri: wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4)
/systems/ibmpc/msdos/ada
Corvallis, Oregon: archive.orst.edu (128.193.2.13)
/pub/mirrors/simtel/msdos/ada
Australia: archie.au (139.130.4.6)
/micros/pc/oak/ada
England: src.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.2.10)
/pub/packages/simtel/ada
Finland: ftp.funet.fi (128.214.248.6)
/pub/msdos/SimTel/ada
France: ftp.ibp.fr (132.227.60.2)
/pub/pc/SimTel/msdos/ada
Germany: ftp.uni-paderborn.de (131.234.2.32)
/SimTel/msdos/ada
Hong Kong: ftp.cs.cuhk.hk (137.189.4.57)
/pub/simtel/msdos/ada
Israel: ftp.technion.ac.il (132.68.1.10)
/pub/unsupported/dos/simtel/ada
Poland: ftp.cyf-kr.edu.pl (149.156.1.8)
/pub/mirror/msdos/ada
Sweden: ftp.sunet.se (130.238.127.3)
/pub/pc/mirror/SimTel/msdos/ada
Switzerland: ftp.switch.ch (130.59.1.40)
/mirror/msdos/ada
Taiwan: nctuccca.edu.tw (140.111.1.10)
/PC/simtel/ada
Thailand: ftp.nectec.or.th (192.150.251.32)
/pub/mirrors/msdos/ada
Richard Conn
Manager, Public Ada Library
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wcreek.txt
Walnut Creek Ada CDROM and Mirror of the PAL
Last Update: 30 September 1994
The Walnut Creek Ada CDROM is a complete copy of the Public Ada Library.
It is updated every few months (so far, there have been editions in
November 1993, March 1994, July 1994, and November 1994). The company,
Walnut Creek CDROM, also operates a mirror of the PAL on the Internet
on the host ftp.cdrom.com.
Four aids are available on the CDROM (and in the PAL) for locating items
of interest:
1. The PAL Catalog (in ASCII text and Postscript) - a complete document
(about 5" thick when printed as Postscript, 10" as ASCII) describing
all items in the PAL (and the CDROM); includes a table of contents,
taxonomy, and index; Chapter 1 describes how to use the document
and other items of interest
2. The PAL Card Catalog - an interactive version of the PAL Catalog;
same information; available as an MSDOS executable that can be run
directly off the CDROM and in Ada source form with instructions for
compilation (very portable - has been run on VAXen, Suns, HPs);
includes search and print facilities; the file QSTART.TXT presents
a quick, 10-minute tutorial on how to use the PAL Card Catalog
3. MSDOS directory viewer from Walnut Creek - DOS-based tool for quickly
and easily moving through the directories on the CDROM, browsing
files, unzipping files, etc.
4. NCSA Mosaic for Microsoft Windows - precompiled to run standalone
under MS Windows version 3.1 with an overview of the CDROM in
hypertext markup language prepared by Eugene Bingue
This CDROM can be purchased from several resellers (be sure to look for
the latest version) and directly from Walnut Creek CDROM at 800/786-9907
or 510/674-0783 for under $50 (including shipping and handling). A
subscription to it can be taken out for under $25 per copy. Quantity
discounts are available. Their FAX is 510/674-0821, and their email is
orders@cdrom.com.
Disclaimer and Thanks: I have no affiliation with Walnut Creek CDROM
other than having organized their Ada CDROMs and worked with them to
help set up the PAL mirror site at ftp.cdrom.com. I make no money from
sales, and have even gone as far as purchasing the Ada CDROMs I
organized for my personal use. I wish to thank Walnut Creek CDROM
(particularly Bob Bruce and Jack Velte) for supporting the Public Ada
Library by freely providing the ftp.cdrom.com mirror site, for providing
a special purchase to ACM/SIGAda for promotion of Ada at conferences,
and for giving away complimentary copies of the Ada CDROMs for the
promotion of Ada.
Richard Conn
30 September 1994
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wu_nfs.txt
Mounting WUARCHIVE via the Network File System (NFS)
Last Update: 30 September 1994
Computers on the Internet which also support NFS can access WUARCHIVE by
mounting the /archive partition on WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU as a logical
disk. How to do this varies from system to system, but, to get you
started, the following describes how to mount the partition by placing
an entry into the file /etc/fstab, which is found on most UNIX systems
that support NFS.
A mailing list has been created for the purpose of notifying interested
parties of changes in operational status of wuarchive (i.e. downtime,
major additions to the archives, etc.). Sites which NFS mount the
archives are strongly urged to subscribe to this list and it is open to
any other individuals who are interested. For information on how to
subscribe to the wuarchive-announce mailing list, fetch a copy of the
file info/README.MAILING-LIST and read it.
Here are some example /etc/fstab entries. The first one is for Ultrix,
which should be compatible with any 4.2BSD system and the second is for
4.3BSD UNIX. The local mount point in these examples is named /wu.
Similar things are needed for other systems, but it is not feasible to
exhaustively enumerate them -- you're on your own.
4.2BSD and Ultrix:
/archive@wuarchive.wustl.edu:/wu:ro:0:0:nfs:bg,soft,intr,noexec:
4.3BSD:
wuarchive.wustl.edu:/archive /wu nfs ro,noquota,soft,intr,bg,noexec 0 0
Note that not all systems support the noexec option, so you may need to
remove it from the mount options above.
The /archive partition on wuarchive is currently a 21GB logical disk.
Programs that report the total disk usage and free space, such as 'df'
on UNIX systems, are sometimes confused by large disks and will report
erroneous used/free space -- for example you may see that your /wu
partition has -234364KB used. Just ignore such results, or beat on your
vendor to fix the problem.
Please feel free to mount the archive partition at any time. Wuarchive
is up and running and ready to service your every request... If you do
mount the archive partitions, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SOFT MOUNTED.
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wwwcnam.txt
World Wide Web Ada Server for the PAL on web.cnam.fr
Last Update: 30 September 1994
It is made of three parts:
http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/ the home page with pointers with
the other pages
http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/catalog.html a catalog of most
frequently asked software (very short at the present time)
http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/find_in_PAL.html a index page
to explore names of files, directories and READMEs (may be mail
on the pal-announce list, too?). It uses a base which is
automatically updated twice in a week.
Stephane Bortzmeyer Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers
bortzmeyer@cnam.fr Laboratoire d'Informatique
292, rue Saint-Martin
tel: +33 (1) 40 27 27 31 75141 Paris Cedex 03
fax: +33 (1) 40 27 27 72 France
--------------------------------------------
File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wwwsrvr.txt
Subject: Ada WWW Server - from comp.lang.ada #17876
Last Update: 12 March 1995
For further information, contact Magnus.Kempe@di.epfl.ch (Magnus Kempe)
*** The Ada WWW Server ***
is alive and heavily used. It is a hypertext information server for the
Ada programming language, managed at the Software Engineering Lab of
the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The URL of the Ada WWW Server is
http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/
What's on the server ?
The Ada WWW Server provides Ada-related information and hypertext
access in areas including:
Historical notes on Ada
- the Lady and the programming language
References
- hypertext LRM 83 and (draft hypertext of) Draft RM 9X;
rationales
Information on Ada95
Standards
Bindings
Tools and Components
Intellectual Ammunition
- some facts about the language; Ada 95; Ada in academia and
industry; special interest groups; and debunking some myths
Introductory Material
- design goals and summary of the language; textbooks; "free"
compilers
Resources
- software repositories; books and articles; list of validated
compilers; cheap and "free" compilers; educational discounts;
and CD-ROMs
CS Technical Reports
FTP Sites--and Mirrors
Calendar of Ada-related events
Ada Today
- press releases; technical and other news
Frequently Asked Questions--with Answers (from comp.lang.ada)
For instance, you will find the list of schools using Ada in CS1
or CS2, an article on commercial success stories, information about
software components, as well as hypertext versions of the Ada
reference manual (both 83 and 95).
For information on the World Wide Web, read the WWW FAQ, always
available in the news.answers archive on rtfm.mit.edu in
/pub/usenet/news.answers/www.faq.
=======================================================
Subject: What Are Some Useful World Wide Web Home Pages?
Last Update: 12 March 1995
Some useful World Wide Web Server home pages:
PAL -
http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/
Ada Information Clearinghouse Home Page -
http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/
Ada WWW Server -
http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/
SIGAda WWW Home Page -
http://info.acm.org/sigada/
Ada Belgium Home Page -
http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~dirk/ada-belgium/
Asset Source for Software Engineering Technology Home Page -
http://source.asset.com/asset.html
Data & Analysis Center for Software Home Page -
http://www.utica.kaman.com:8001/
Electronic Library Services and Applications Home Page -
http://www.mountain.net/
Software Technology for Adaptable Reliable Systems Home Page -
http://www.stars.ballston.paramax.com/
Walnut Creek CDROM Home Page -
http://ftp.cdrom.com/
=======================================================
Subject: How Do I Work with PAL ZIP and MAC Binary Files from my MAC?
Last Update: June 29, 1993
See the file mbin*.abs (a text file) in the PAL toolkit directory.
There is a program for converting binary images in the PAL into Mac
Binary format. There are also ZIP and UNZIP programs for the Mac.
Thanks to Mike Feldman for his support in this matter.
=======================================================
Subject: How Can I Submit an Item to the PAL?
Last Update: December 6, 1993
Contact Richard Conn at
conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu
if you wish to submit an item to the PAL. Several different mechanisms
are in place for making a submission, including direct FTP into the PAL
(which is by far the easiest from my point of view). I will ask you to
fill out an Item Description (ID) file which describes the item you are
submitting. Once the item is on WUARCHIVE and I have your filled-out
ID file, I can take it from there.
Detailed submission instructions are in the file submit2.txt in the
directory languages/ada/userdocs/faqfile.
Richard Conn, PAL Manager | conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu
Opinions expressed herein are my own and not necessarily those of anyone else.
==============================================================================
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 2+ messages in thread
* Public Ada Library (with VHDL support) FAQ
@ 1996-06-24 0:00 Prof R Conn
0 siblings, 0 replies; 2+ messages in thread
From: Prof R Conn @ 1996-06-24 0:00 UTC (permalink / raw)
Archive-name: computer-lang/Ada/pal-vhdl-faq
Date of this FAQ: Tuesday, June 18, 1996
Public Ada Library (PAL) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Posting Frequency: Monthly
Last Update: 17 June 1996
The Public Ada Library (PAL) is a distributed library of Ada and VHDL
software, courseware, and information that contains about 3.0 BILLION
bytes of material (mainly in compressed form). All items in the PAL
have been released to the public with unlimited distribution and are
freeware in most cases (the exceptions are shareware). The PAL is
managed by Richard Conn at Monmouth University in New Jersey under
contract to the Ada Joint Program Office, Defense Information Systems
Agency, U.S. Department of Defense.
The PAL FAQ can be found in the PAL in HTML and ASCII text formats. The
files are languages/ada/userdocs/html/PAL_FAQ.html,
languages/ada/userdocs/htm/PAL_FAQ.htm, and languages/ada/0FAQ. The PAL
FAQ can also be found in ASCII text form on rtfm.mit.edu under
pub/usenet/news.answers/computer-lang/Ada/pal-vhdl-faq.
The PAL FAQ addresses the following topics:
. Welcome to the Public Ada Library (PAL)
. What is WUArchive?
. What Electronic Mailing Lists Support the PAL Users?
. What Documentation is Available to Help the PAL User?
. Is the Software in the PAL Free of Defects?
. What Certification is Done?
. What are Review Codes?
. What Are Some Useful World Wide Web Pages?
. How Do I Handle the Various Types of Files in the PAL?
. How to Use the PAL from Various Platforms
. How Can I Submit an Item to the PAL?
=======================================================
Subject: Welcome to the Public Ada Library (PAL)
Welcome to the Public Ada Library (PAL)
Last Update: 15 January 1996
The Public Ada Library (PAL) is a library of Ada and VHDL* software,
courseware, and documentation on the Internet-based host computer named
wuarchive.wustl.edu (WUARCHIVE). The PAL is located in the directories
languages/ada and languages/vhdl if you access WUARCHIVE by FTP, archie,
gopher, the World Wide Web, or FTPMAIL, or in the directories
/archive/languages/ada and /archive/languages/vhdl if you access
WUARCHIVE by NFS.
* VHDL stands for VHSIC Hardware Description Language, where
VHSIC stands for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit
The purposes of the PAL are:
* to help make Ada-oriented and VHDL-oriented software, courseware, and
documentation that has been released for public distribution (as
shareware, freeware, GNU Copyleft, etc) readily available
* to support Ada and VHDL educators by providing a convenient mechanism
for them to exchange material and ideas
* to support the Ada and VHDL user community in general by providing a
resource in support of their activities
The PAL reached the following milestones as indicated:
Milestone Date
----------------------------------------------- -------------
Initial Operational Capability June 21, 1993
Voluntary Basis
Washington University Provided Resources
Funded in part by the National Science
Foundation with Educational Grant from
Digital Equipment Corporation
Washington University Office of the Network
Coordinator Sponsorship
Activity Statistics Gathering Started September 1, 1993
Gopher Access Enabled January 1, 1994
Periodic CDROM Fabrication Process Started March 1, 1994
Funding Provided by Defense Information Systems March 28, 1994
Agency through the Army's Communications-
Electronics Command Software Engineering
Directorate
Certification Process Started (Certifier_1) June 1, 1994
HyperText Transport Protocol Access Enabled July 1, 1994
PAL Exceeded 1 Billion Bytes in Size September 30, 1994
PAL Exceeded 1.7 Billion Bytes in Size October 31, 1995
PAL Exceeded 2.9 Billion Bytes in Size January 1, 1996
The PAL, which is located in the directory trees languages/ada and
languages/vhdl on WUARCHIVE, is actually ten collections of material in
one:
* the languages/ada/ajpo tree is a mirror** of the public area of the
sw-eng.falls-church.va.us host computer; this collection is maintained
by the Ada Information Clearinghouse (AdaIC) under the direction of the
Ada Joint Program Office
* the languages/ada/sei tree is a mirror** of the public area of the
ftp.sei.cmu.edu host computer; this collection is maintained by the
Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
* the languages/ada/asr tree is the principal copy of the Ada Software
Repository (ASR) on wsmr-simtel20.army.mil; the ASR is no longer
actively maintained; documentation on the languages/ada/asr tree is
found in the languages/ada/asr/mindex directory as the Master Index
document (files are named *.ch, containing chapters of the document) and
in the PAL Catalog and PAL Card Catalog
* the languages/ada/compiler/adaed/gwu tree is a mirror** of the
pub/ada/gw-adaed area of the ftp.gwu.edu host computer; this collection
is maintained by Dr. Michael Feldman of George Washington University
* the languages/ada/compiler/ez2load tree is a mirror** of the
pub/ada/ez2load area of the ftp.gwu.edu host computer; this collection
is maintained by Dr. Michael Feldman of George Washington University
* the languages/ada/compiler/gnat/distrib tree is a mirror** of the
public area of the cs.nyu.edu host computer; this collection is
maintained by the GNU NYU Ada95 Translator (GNAT) project
* the languages/ada/sage tree is a mirror** of the public area of the
sageftp.inel.gov host computer; this collection is maintained by the
Idaho National Engineering Lab (INEL)
* the languages/ada/swtools/drgen tree is a mirror** of the
pub/ada/drgen area of the ftp.cs.ua.edu host computer; this colleciton
is maintained by Dr. Allen Parrish and Dr. David Cordes of the
University of Alabama
* the languages/vhdl tree is a mirror** of the VHDL Repository at the
University of Cincinnati, host ftp.uceng.uc.edu; this collection is
maintained by Dr. Harold Carter of the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering at the University of Cincinnati
* the rest of the languages/ada tree is the part of the PAL managed by
the manager of the PAL; documentation is found in the directory
languages/ada/userdocs/catalog, which contains the PAL Catalog, PAL
LOTUS-123 and dBase IV compatible database files, and other forms of
catalog information on the PAL
** A mirror is a copy of a remote system, such as the public area of
ftp.sei.cmu.edu, in a tree within the PAL. This copy is
automatically updated every few days. Documentation of the
mirror is scattered throughout the tree itself and in the PAL
Catalog and PAL Card Catalog.
WUARCHIVE is supported by the Office of Academic Computing and
Networking, Washington University in Saint Louis. Funding for WUARCHIVE
is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of
Academic Computing and Networking.
The support for the PAL is part of a DoD contract, entitled "Defining
and Exploring an Efficient Distributed Process for the Reuse of Ada
Software Components and Tools in a Global Theater" and numbered
DAAB07-94-C-D009. This contract was awarded to Monmouth University in
West Long Branch, New Jersey, through the Army's Communications
Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineering Directorate (SED) with
funding provided by the Ada Joint Program Office (AJPO), Defense
Information Systems Agency (DISA), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
Many organizations have developed cooperative relationships with the
PAL, contributing time, effort, user support services, and artifacts to
the PAL and its users either directly or indirectly. These
organizations include:
* the Ada Joint Program Office (AJPO)
* the Ada Information Clearinghouse (AdaIC)
* the Ada and Software Engineering Education Team (ASEET)
* the Army Reuse Center (ARC)
* the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control,
Communications, and Intelligence (ASD/C3I)
* the Asset Source for Software Engineering Technology (ASSET)
* the Comprehensive Approach to Reusable Defense Software (CARDS)
* Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers (CNAM) in Paris, France
* the DoD's Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
* the Electronic Library Services and Applications (ELSA, formerly AdaNET)
* George Washington University (GWU)
* the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL)
* the Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
* the Software Reuse Repository at the University of Maine
* the Special Interest Group for Ada of the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM/SIGAda)
* Team Ada
* the University of Alabama (UA)
* the VHDL Repository at the University of Cincinnati (UC)
* Walnut Creek CDROM
The PAL can be accessed by a wide variety of mechanisms. These
mechanisms include, but are not limited to, the following:
* FTP to WUARCHIVE itself (up to 300 simultaneous FTP users)
* NFS mounts on WUARCHIVE
* Gopher servers
* HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) servers for the World Wide Web
* FTPMAIL email servers
* CDROM distributions
* ASSET distributions and customer support
* ELSA distributions and customer support
* AdaIC distributions and customer support
* Walnut Creek CDROM electronic distributions and customer support
It is highly recommended that users obtain the current PAL Catalog
(named CAT_DOC.ZIP (contains ASCII text files) and CAT_PS.ZIP (contains
Postscript files) in the subdirectory languages/ada/userdocs/catalog) or
the PAL Card Catalog (found in the subdirectory languages/toolkit/all in
the file CARDCAT.ZIP). The PAL Card Catalog is a program and database
you can install on your local computer if you have a validated Ada
compiler; it contains the same information as the PAL Catalog. Also
offered is the data in the PAL Card Catalog presented in Hypertext
Markup Language (HTML), suitable for browsing through the World Wide Web
client software (like Mosaic and Netscape). The HTML version of the PAL
Card Catalog can be found from languages/ada/pal.html.
If you are reading this from the top level of the Walnut Creek Ada CDROM
from an MSDOS or equivalent platform, you may execute the batch file
GO.BAT to run the interactive PAL Card Catalog or the batch file
SHOW.BAT to run an interactive, animated introduction to the PAL. The
files 00_cd.html and 00_cd_a.htm provide a Web-oriented version of the
PAL Card Catalog. Finally, also in languages/ada is the file 0MANIFEST,
which gives a top-level view of the contents of the PAL.
Users wishing to access the PAL by FTP can use anonymous FTP to contact
the main PAL host (wuarchive.wustl.edu) or the PAL mirror sites
(ftp.cnam.fr, ftp.cdrom.com, and sw-eng.falls-church.va.us). The
languages/ada tree on wuarchive corresponds to the pub/Ada/PAL tree on
ftp.cnam.fr, the pub/ada tree on ftp.cdrom.com, and the PAL/ada tree on
sw-eng.falls-church.va.us. Two hosts support access to the PAL as
gopher servers: wuarchive.wustl.edu and gopher.wustl.edu. The host
wuarchive.wustl.edu also supports an HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol)
server for users of the World Wide Web.
See the section of the PAL FAQ entitled "How Can I Get to the Items in
the PAL?" for more details.
General Disclaimer
------------------
All software, courseware, documentation, and other items of information
in the PAL are provided "AS IS" without any expressed or implied
warranties whatsoever unless their individual documentation states
otherwise. No warranties as to performance, merchantability, or fitness
for a particular purpose exist.
Because of the diversity of conditions under which this software may be
used, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered. The
user is advised to test the software and courseware thoroughly before
relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk and liability of
using this software, courseware, and documentation.
In no event shall any person or organization be held responsible for any
direct, indirect, consequential, or inconsequential damages or lost
profits.
=======================================================
Subject: What is WUARCHIVE?
What is WUArchive?
Last Update: 3 November 1995
The host computer named wuarchive.wustl.edu (WUARCHIVE) is a Digital
Equipment Corporation (DEC) Alpha AXP 3000 Model 400. It is equipped
with 192M bytes of RAM and over 65G bytes of disk space, and it is able
to support up to 300 simultaneous anonymous FTP sessions, many remote
NFS mounts, a gopher server, and an HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol)
server (with an unlimited number of users) for the World Wide Web.
WUARCHIVE is owned by the Office of Academic Computing and Networking,
Washington University in Saint Louis. The Office of Academic Computing
and Networking and the National Science Foundation have jointly paid for
the hardware of the machine and for the services of the support
personnel at Washington University in Saint Louis. Additional funding
for the hardware has also been provided by the AMINET User's Group, the
Defense Information Systems Agency, and Monmouth University.
The maintainers of the archives which originate on WUARCHIVE are mainly
volunteers, working on an unfunded basis. The support personnel who
maintain the operational support software, including the software which
keeps the mirrors up to date, are funded by the Office of Academic
Computing and Networking and the National Science Foundation grant. The
PAL Manager is funded by DISA.
We wish to express our gratitude to Digital Equipment Corporation for
the sale of the DEC Alpha at a substantial discount and to the National
Science Foundation for its grant in support of WUARCHIVE. We also wish
to express our thanks for funding for extension to the disk drives on
WUARCHIVE to the AMINET User's Group, the Defense Information Systems
Agency, and Monmouth University. We wish to thank DISA for funding the
management of the PAL.
=======================================================
Subject: What Electronic Mailing Lists Support PAL Users?
What Electronic Mailing Lists Support the PAL Users?
Last Update: 6 February 1996
MAIL.WUSTL.EDU is the electronic mail list server for users of the PAL.
A separate computer from WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU (on which the PAL is
located), MAIL's purpose in life from the point of view of the PAL user
is to manage the electronic mailing lists supporting him.
The List Processor is a program on MAIL which manages Lists (Electronic
Mailing Lists). The user can send commands to the List Processor, and
it will respond by performing actions for him (such as adding him to a
List, removing him from a List, and sending him a message naming all the
lists supported by the List Processor). The user can send email
messages to the List, and the subscribers to the List will receive these
messages.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS - SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, and WHICH
========================================================
If you wish to subscribe to an electronic mailing list, send an
electronic mail message to the List Processor:
listproc@mail.wustl.edu
Leave the subject line blank and place the following line into the body
of this message:
subscribe <electronic mailing list name> <your name>
Example:
subscribe pal-announce John J. Smith
Begin this line in column 1. Your return address will be used as the
address to which announcements will be sent. A list of the electronic
mailing lists for the PAL user community is included below.
You will receive a message back from the List Processor, telling you of
the success or failure of your request.
Once subscribed, a user can send electronic mail to all subscribers of a
List by sending email to the list's name at mail.wustl.edu; example:
ada-train@mail.wustl.edu
This, of course, only works if the List is bidirectional. The ANNOUNCE
Lists are unidirectional (read-only from the point of view of the
subscribers). Subscribers cannot post email messages to the ANNOUNCE
lists - only the moderator of the ANNOUNCE lists can post messages.
If you wish to unsubscribe from an electronic mailing list, send an
electronic mail message to the List Processor:
listproc@mail.wustl.edu
Leave the subject line blank and place the following line into the body
of this message:
unsubscribe <electronic mailing list name>
Example:
unsubscribe pal-announce
If you wish to find out what electronic mailing lists you subscribe to,
send an electronic mail message to:
listproc@mail.wustl.edu
Leave the subject line blank and place the following line into the body
of this message:
which
HELP
====
The List Processor is a very flexible tool which gives you control over
how you receive messages from the lists to which you subscribe. For
example, you may receive messages as they are posted or in a digest form
once a day. A 20-page user's manual for the List Processor is contained
in the PAL in the directory ada/userdocs/listproc.
To find out what commands the List Processor can respond to, send an
email message to:
listproc@mail.wustl.edu
which contains an empty subject line and one line in the body of the
message (starting in the first column):
help
EMAIL LIST ARCHIVES
===================
Additionally, as of February 1996, all PAL email lists are archived
automatically by the List Processor. You can obtain copies of messages
posted to the Lists on and after February 1996 by sending commands to
the List Processor (see the user's manual for details).
A PARTIAL LIST OF ELECTRONIC MAILING LISTS AVAILABLE FROM
listproc@mail.wustl.edu
=========================================================
These lists are for the PAL user community. For a more complete list of
the mailing lists available to your site, send a mail message to
listproc@mail.wustl.edu which contains the command "LISTS".
Pal-Announce - Announcements concerning the Public Ada Library
(PAL). These include additions to, changes to and other
announcements concerning the PAL. You can not post messages here.
Ada-Train - This list is for the discussion of topics concerning Ada
training and education. This is a general discussion list.
ASEET - The ASEET email list supports members of ASEET (The Ada and
Software Engineering Education Team) and others interested in the
activities of ASEET. ASEET materials are available from the
Public Ada Library (PAL), including an archive of previous messages
posted to this list.
Reuse - This list is a bidirectional mailing list for those people
interested in software reuse technology. This includes, but is
not limited to, the fields of designing for reuse, object-oriented
reuse methods, reuse tools and environments, generic code
architectures, domain-specific kits, reuse education, technology
transfer, formal methods, certification of reusable components,
and management issues as they pertain to reuse.
Wuarchive-Announce - Notification of any planned downtime or service
changes for wuarchive.wustl.edu. The only announcements from this
list will be from local staff or archivers.
=======================================================
Subject: What Documentation is Available to Help the PAL User?
What Documentation is Available to Help the PAL User?
Last Update: 17 June 1996
PAL Catalog, FAQ, and Database Information
==========================================
The subdirectory userdocs/catalog in the PAL contains a number of
documents of interest to the users of the PAL. The key user documents
in this subdirectory are:
CAT_DOC.ZIP and CAT_PS.ZIP - a catalog, complete with table of
contents and index, of the contents of the PAL in the form
of a book; CAT_DOC.ZIP contains the chapters as ASCII text,
CAT_PS.ZIP contains the chapters as Postscript files that
print 2 pages per physical page in landscape (1/2 the number
of hardcopy pages required by CAT_DOC.ZIP)
TAXONOMY.ZIP - a taxonomy of the PAL in ASCII and Postscript
CSV_DB.ZIP - contains a Comma-Separated-Value (CSV) ASCII
text file which can be read into database managers like
dBase IV and spreadsheets like LOTUS 1-2-3 to allow the user
to scan for items of interest offline; the contents of this
ZIP file are CSV_DB.DOC and CSV_HDR.DOC, where DB contains the
data and HDR contains structure information
The subdirectory languages/ada/userdocs/catalog/id_files contains the
Item Description files from which the above files were created. Item
Description files exist for each item in the PAL. File names in
id_files which have the same prefix refer to the same item.
The PAL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list:
languages/ada/userdocs/faqfile/PAL.FAQ -or-
languages/ada/0FAQ
the Frequently Asked Questions list
The PAL FAQ in HTML format suitable for browsing via a World Wide Web client
(such as Mosaic or Netscape):
languages/ada/userdocs/html/PAL_FAQ.html -or-
languages/ada/userdocs/htm/PAL_FAQ.htm
the Frequently Asked Questions list in HTML format
Other files in the languages/ada/userdocs/catalog and
languages/ada/userdocs/faqfile subdirectories are used to create these
key files. Additionally, the user is invited to look in the following
directories for additional useful information:
userdocs/internet -- information on using the Internet
userdocs/internet/email -- archives of the PAL email lists
PAL Card Catalog in Ada
-----------------------
The Public Ada Library Card Catalog is an interactive browser that
presents all the information in the PAL Catalog:
1. A top-level view of the entire Public Ada Library
2. Descriptions of all the items in the Public Ada Library, including
abstracts, locations of files, author information, and release and
copyright information
3. An extensive index and taxonomy
The PAL Card Catalog also includes the complete text of the current PAL
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list and online help. The file
QSTART.TXT is a short (10 minute) tutorial on how to use the PAL Card
Catalog.
The directory languages/ada/toolkit/all contains CARDCAT.ZIP, a ZIP file
which contains the source code to the PAL Card Catalog along with
instructions for installing it on any system supported by an Ada83
compiler. A validated Ada83 compiler and CS Parts are required to
perform the installation. CS Parts can be found under the directory
languages/ada/swcomps/csparts.
The directory languages/ada/toolkit/msdos/cardcat contains ccat_pc.zip,
a ZIP file which contains the files in the runme subdirectory. The
files in ccat_pc.zip are ready to run under MSDOS.
PAL Card Catalog in HTML
------------------------
The Public Ada Library Card Catalog is also available in HyperText
Markup Language (HTML). In this form, a user can view the Card Catalog
by using a World Wide Web client, such as Netscape. The movement and
search capabilities provided by the client can be used to move through
the Card Catalog.
The directory languages/ada contains pal.html and pal_a.htm, the main
World Wide Web home pages for the PAL and convenient entry points for
the PAL Card Catalog. The file pal.html contains the full, "glossy"
home page, while pal_a.htm contains the same information for users
limited to 8-dot-3 file names. The directory
languages/ada/userdocs/html/cardcat contains the PAL Card Catalog
itself, and the files 00_Tax.html and 00_Idx.html allow the user to
enter the Card Catalog at the top-level taxonomy or the index. Likewise,
the directory languages/ada/userdocs/htm/cardcat contains 00_Tax.htm and
00_Idx.htm for users limited to 8-dot-3 file names.
Both versions of the PAL Card Catalog are also available on the CDROM
distributions of the PAL, so users may browse the CDROM using either the
Ada version of the Card Catalog or the HTML version.
For users of the CDROM without the Rock Ridge extensions, the PAL Card
Catalog is also available in HTM (as opposed to HTML) files. Look at
00_cd.html and 00_cd_a.htm at the top-level of the CDROM and the
directory ada/userdocs/htm/cardcat for the same Card Catalog implemented
in htm files as opposed to html files.
=======================================================
Subject: Is the Software in PAL Free of Defects?
Is the Software in the PAL Free of Defects?
Last Update: 21 June 1993
The software in the PAL is an outstanding collection from all over the
world, but it comes with a warning: like any such collection, there are
outstanding items, good items, average items, and poor items. This
software contains items which are really useful, items which you cannot
live without, and items which simply may not work in your environment.
So you, as a user, must not come into this thinking that everything is
perfect.
So how do you know in advance what software is good and what is bad?
Study. This problem has come up over and over again with the Ada
Software Repository (ASR), and I answered this by adding a REVIEW CODE
field to all the items in the ASR Master Index. Chapter 1 of the Master
Index gives the keys for this field (e.g., CS means Compiled
Successfully, ES means Executed Successfully, NR means Not Rated (I
don't know if it is good or bad), etc.). Every item in the Master Index
book has an associated REVIEW CODE field. Look at this when you
consider using the item. Also, look for Comment (CMM) files throughout
the ASR. They tell success/problem stories. They are text files, so
you can just read them. Finally, if you find an item marked with a CS
and ES, note the compilers/platforms noted with this mark (e.g., CS(DEC
Ada), etc.). If a number of compilers/platforms are named, you probably
have a very portable item.
The PAL has a document called the PAL Catalog (similar in nature to the
Master Index of the ASR). The PAL Catalog has a similar REVIEW CODE
field, and CMM files are also support in the PAL. In phase 2 of the
PAL, one or more automated static code analysis tools will be used to
analyze the Ada source code in the PAL and report on it.
=======================================================
Subject: What is Certifier_1 and What Certification is Done?
What Certification is Done?
Last Update: 6 June 1994
The second stage in the development of the Public Ada Library (PAL) has
begun with the introduction of the concept of certification to the Ada
source code in the library. A program, Certifier_1, has been created
that will be initially used to evaluate all Ada source code submitted to
the PAL. Certifier_1 has the ability to analyze thousands of files in a
single pass, checking on their interdependencies. It ranks the files it
is asked to analyze as OK or NOT OK and assigns a letter grade to the
system (A, B, or C is OK, D and F are NOT OK).
Certifier_1 contains a lexical analyzer and a parser for the Ada83
language. A grade of F is assigned to the system if syntax or lexical
errors are encountered. Certifier_1 also builds an internal data
structure describing the interdependencies of the library units and
subunits. If stubs (subunit bodies) are missing and there are no syntax
or lexical errors, a grade of D is assigned to the system indicating
that major parts of it are missing. This is not necessarily bad; the
Abstractions library from Intermetrics, for instance, received a letter
grade of D because of missing subunits, but, when the Intermetrics
Standards Checker was evaluated with Abstractions, the Standards Checker
code filled in the missing subunits, giving the combined Standards
Checker and Abstractions system a grade of A.
Certifier_1 also checks on compiler-specific pragmas, the use of machine
code, and the withing of library units that are not a part of the
analyzed code. It awards lower grades (B and C) if all else is OK and
one of these issues comes up. A grade of a B or a C may or may not mean
there is a problem. Compiler-specific library units may be employed,
causing the lower grade, for example. Also, it may be possible to raise
the grade by including another components library, like CS Parts or New
Abstractions, in the evaluation to fill in the missing library units.
However, a B or a C may also mean that code has been omitted.
Certifier_1 generates two reports: a report for inclusion in the PAL
database entry on the item and a log file which describes details on the
problems encountered, including line numbers and file names on or near
which the problems can be found. Log reports can be found for each item
in the PAL by checking in the directory
languages/ada/userdocs/catalog/c1_rpts. Reports are named after the
items on which they report; ada_sda.c1, for instance, is the report
associated with the Software ID file ada_sda.sid.
Certifier_1 is by no means a final solution to the problem of
certification of reusable software in a library. However, it is a
start. It does not beat a compiler by any means, but it does provide a
quick, first-look solution. It does not determine logical errors or
problems with completeness. Many things can slip through Certifier_1,
but, likewise, many things do not. It is a first step.
=======================================================
Subject: What are Review Codes?
What are Review Codes?
Last Update: 6 June 1994
The database maintained on the PAL includes Review Codes which are used
to indicate to some extent the level of trust which may be placed in a
particular item. These Review Codes are defined as follows:
Code Meaning
---- -------
AR AdaNET Report is available (usually in the ZIP file); AdaNET
Reports contain information on experiences in compiling this
item
C1 The Certifier_1 tool has analyzed the Ada source code in this
item; the full format of this entry is "C1 n.n g" where n.n is
the version number of Certifier_1 and g is the letter grade
given by Certifier_1 (A, B, and C are satisfactory; D and F are
not satisfactory)
CMM Comment Files (*.CMM, *.CM2, etc) are available which describe
one or more problems with the item
CS Compiled Successfully (followed by an indication of the
Ada compiler used in parentheses) by the reviewer
ES Executed Successfully (followed by an indication of the
target computer used in parentheses if different from the
systems mentioned in the CS list) by the reviewer
MF-CODE Missing File - Code; one or more files of source code are
missing; the item cannot be compiled without these files
MF-DATA Missing File - Data; one or more files used as input data when
the compiled code runs are missing; the item cannot be
executed without these files
NR Not Reviewed
OK This is a text file which is believed to be an accurate copy
of the original
RI Review Incomplete (only some results of a partial review
are posted)
SDA Report generated by the Ada System Dependency Analyzer is
available; if followed by a number from 1 to 5 (e.g., SDA5),
the number indicates the relative quality of the item, where
5 is of the highest quality
not negation prefix (e.g., not ES or not OK)
=======================================================
Subject: What Are Some Useful World Wide Web Home Pages?
What are some Useful World Wide Web Pages?
Last Update: 17 June 1996
Some useful World Wide Web Server home pages:
Public Ada Library (PAL) [Note: pal_a.htm may be substituted for pal.html]
http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/languages/ada/pal.html
http://www.cdrom.com/pub/ada/pal.html
http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/PAL/ada/pal.html
http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/pal.html
Ada and Reuse Information Clearinghouses
http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/
AdaBasis Library
http://www.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/ifi/ps/ada-software/
ada-software.html
Ada Belgium
http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~dirk/ada-belgium/
Ada Europe
http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada-Europe/
Ada Spain
http://www.ati.es/GENERAL/doc/adasp.html
Ada Sweden
http://www.docs.uu.se/ais/
Ada United Kingdom (Ada UK)
http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/Ammo/Associations/ada-uk.html
AdaSAGE
http://sageftp.inel.gov/sage/HOMEPAGE.HTM
Air Force Software Technology Support Center
http://stsc.hill.af.mil/
Applied Software Reuse Products Department
http://sageftp.inel.gov/asrp.htm
Arcadia Research Project
http://www.ics.uci.edu/Arcadia
Army Reuse Center (ARC)
http://arc_www.belvoir.army.mil/default.html
Asset Source for Software Engineering Technology (ASSET)
http://source.asset.com/asset.html
Comprehensive Approach to Reusable Defense Software (CARDS)
http://dealer.cards.com
Data & Analysis Center for Software (DACS)
http://www.utica.kaman.com:8001/
Defense Software Repository System (DSRS)
http://ssed1.ims.disa.mil/srp/dsrspage.html
Electronic Library Services and Applications (ELSA)
http://www.mountain.net/
GNU NYU Ada95 Translator (GNAT) Project
http://cs.nyu.edu/cs/projects/gnat/
LGL Components Library
http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Components/
Magnus Kempe's Ada WWW Server
http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/
NASA COmputer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC)
http://www.cosmic.uga.edu/
Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
http://www.sei.cmu.edu
Software Engineering Sites
http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/brant/sre/soft-eng.html
Software Engineering Virtual Library
http://rbse.jsc.nasa.gov/virt-lib/soft-eng.html
Software Productivity Consortium
http://software.software.org/
Software Reengineering
http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/brant/sre/index.html
Special Interest Group in Ada (SIGAda)
http://info.acm.org/sigada/
Walnut Creek CDROM
http://www.cdrom.com/
=======================================================
Subject: How Do I Handle the Various Types of Files in PAL?
How Do I Handle the Various Types of Files in the PAL?
Last Update: 12 November 1994
A number of file formats have come into play among the files in the PAL:
MSDOS and UNIX ASCII text files
PAGER2 Files
ZIP Files
GNU ZIP Files
TAR Files
Compressed (*.Z) Files
Compressed or GNU ZIPped TAR Files
If you have questions about these file formats, see the file README.TOO
in the top level of the the toolkit directory. The subdirectories under
the toolkit directory contain programs for various platforms that allow
you to work with these files in various ways.
=======================================================
Subject: Supplementary Info on How to Use the PAL
How to Use the PAL from Various Platforms
Last Update: 17 July 1995
The directory ada/how2use has been created to further support users of
the PAL on both the Internet and the Ada CDROM from Walnut Creek. This
directory contains instructions for using the PAL from World Wide Web
browsers, on Macintosh and PC platforms, and on other platforms.
=======================================================
Subject: How Can I Submit an Item to the PAL?
How Can I Submit an Item to the PAL?
Last Update: 6 December 1993
Contact Richard Conn at
conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu
if you wish to submit an item to the PAL. Several different mechanisms
are in place for making a submission, including direct FTP into the PAL
(which is by far the easiest from my point of view). I will ask you to
fill out an Item Description (ID) file which describes the item you are
submitting. Once the item is on WUARCHIVE and I have your filled-out ID
file, I can take it from there.
Detailed submission instructions are in the file submit2.txt in the
directory languages/ada/userdocs/faqfile.
Richard Conn, PAL Manager | conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu
Opinions expressed herein are my own and not necessarily those of anyone else.
==============================================================================
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