Re: GNAT, OS/2, Libraries

[tojst1+@pitt.edu (Tore Joergensen)]

morphis@fnalv1.fnal.gov wrote:
:     Hi,
:     	I occasionally lurk here and one of the comments I have read
:     about GNAT in general and GNAT for OS/2 in particular is that there
:     is a lack of libraries.  Excuse my ignorance but what does that mean?
:     	Are we talking about something basic to the language? or about 
:     libraries of routines that will find the roots of Bessel functions,
:     draw squares or create x-widgets?

We are not talking about the basic language. The core language + several
of the optional Ada-packages are implemented. What we talk about when
we say that there are a lack of libraries like high-level PM-libraries,
network-libraries, etc. There are thin bindings to the OS/2 API, but
that is a bit low-level for big programs :-). I'm not sure what the root
of a Bessel function is, but it sounds like something that is compiler
and OS independent (i.e. if it is available for Ada, it will probably
work with GNAT under OS/2 as well). Drawing squares can be done with the
OS/2 GPI API (thin bindings exist). Create x-widgets isn't very useful
under OS/2 unless you have a X-environment :-). There is a free 
X-environment under development (used by Linux etc.) and the OS/2 port
is in alpha-version. That version has emx libraries, which can be used
by gcc and thereby gnat. I'm not sure if the Intermetrics X-bindings will
work unmodified or not. The Motif-library is not available for OS/2. 

The point is, there are lot's of libraries available for the gcc/emx
environment (which can be used since Ada95 can communicate with C-code),
but it is not as convenient as nice high-level Ada95 libraries would be.
Making nice high-level Ada95 libraries takes time, and time seems to be
something that everybody lacks :-(.
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| Tore B. Joergensen      | e-mail : tore@lis.pitt.edu                |
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