Ada/Windows advice (Alsys ActivAda)

Ada/Windows advice (Alsys ActivAda)

[Matt Duggan]

I'm currently begining a project which requires the use of the Alsys
ActivAda compiler, for MS-Windows.  I was wondering if anybody out there
could recommend some sources of information, to get an introduction to
programming windows via Ada.  Any help would be appreciated.

-- Matt Duggan.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matthew Duggan                          Don't tell me I'm burning the candle at
Third Year Computer Science                            both ends  --
(Bachelor of Applied Science)              tell me where to get more wax!!!
 
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology            matt@pitvax.xx.rmit.edu.au
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia                 s9312662@arcadia.cs.rmit.edu.au
                                           (Third year student representative)

Re: Ada/Windows advice (Alsys ActivAda)

[RCulloty]

     Ummm, good luck.  To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any books
out
there on Programming Windows in Ada.  I'm trying to trudge through it
myself,
and I bought the book called "Programming Windows 3.1" from Microsoft
Press writted by Charles Petzold.  It's a good book on programming
Windows, even though it covers 16-bit Windows programming, not Win32. 
Most of the function calls have remained the same so you will still find
it to be a good reference book. 
Beware that all the examples in the book are in C.  Looking at that ugly
syntax will start to make your head spin after a while, but it isn't too
difficult to translate to Ada.
     Also, remember that Alsys is kind enough to provide all the package
specs to their Win32 binding with the compiler.  They are located in the
directory "alsys\tools\win32s" on your harddrive.  Having those comes in
handy when your trying to make a Windows function call and you don't know
what format to use.
     If you've tried to use the Codeview debugger and your like me and you
gave up on it, do yourself a favor and ftp to "ftp.microsoft.com" and
change directories into "Softlib\MSLFILES" and leech the file called
"WIN32SPY.EXE".  That debugger is 10 times as easy to use than the
Codeview thingy.

Ryan J Culloty
rculloty@aol.com

Re: Ada/Windows advice (Alsys ActivAda)

[Jim Dorman]

rculloty@aol.com (RCulloty) wrote:
>
> 
>      Ummm, good luck.  To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any books
> out
> there on Programming Windows in Ada.  I'm trying to trudge through it
> myself,
> and I bought the book called "Programming Windows 3.1" from Microsoft
> Press writted by Charles Petzold.  It's a good book on programming
> Windows, even though it covers 16-bit Windows programming, not Win32. 
> Most of the function calls have remained the same so you will still find
> it to be a good reference book. 
> Beware that all the examples in the book are in C.  Looking at that ugly
> syntax will start to make your head spin after a while, but it isn't too
> difficult to translate to Ada.
>      Also, remember that Alsys is kind enough to provide all the package
> specs to their Win32 binding with the compiler.  They are located in the
> directory "alsys\tools\win32s" on your harddrive.  Having those comes in
> handy when your trying to make a Windows function call and you don't know
> what format to use.
>      If you've tried to use the Codeview debugger and your like me and you
> gave up on it, do yourself a favor and ftp to "ftp.microsoft.com" and
> change directories into "Softlib\MSLFILES" and leech the file called
> "WIN32SPY.EXE".  That debugger is 10 times as easy to use than the
> Codeview thingy.
> 
> Ryan J Culloty
> rculloty@aol.com
My company has been using ActivAda for Windows and IntegrAda for Windows and Visual l Ada
to create commercial software. We have already taught a course in Windows programming in
Ada for the Army. We are willing to conduct more such training, however, most Ada Windows
programmers are "one here", "one there" and there are not enought of them to hold a class.

I would be willing to set up a series of such classes in the San Diego area if people were
interested. Anyone so interested can contact me for more information by email at:

   jimd@pcada.com    or ada_info@pcada.com

You may also call (619) 793-0245 or FAX (619) 793-5374.

You should remember: Just because you can program in Windows, or program in Ada, does not 
automatically mean you are able to easily program Windows iapplications uisomg AAda.