Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Martin C. Martin]

Hi all,

I'm looking for an Ada 95 compiler for the macintosh.  The FAQ lists
only one free and one commercial Ada 83 compiler.  With "hundreds of
Ada compilers" out there, I'm kind of amazed there's nothing else.  Is
that true?

Thanks,
Martin

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Dave Sawyer]

In article <4uspee21xt.fsf@furrow.frc.ri.cmu.edu>,
mcm@cs.cmu.edu (Martin C. Martin) wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I'm looking for an Ada 95 compiler for the macintosh.  The FAQ lists
>only one free and one commercial Ada 83 compiler.  With "hundreds of
>Ada compilers" out there, I'm kind of amazed there's nothing else.  Is
>that true?


To the best of my knowledge, none exist right now, but a project is
underway to create one based on GNAT. For details, connect to:

	http://gnat-mac.com/macada/

		or

	http://www.netway.net/macada/



--------------------------------------------------
Dave Sawyer
DBSystems Consulting
Internet:  ozz@rmii.com
--------------------------------------------------
Error? Impossible - my modem is error correcting!
--------------------------------------------------

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Ken Garlington]

Martin C. Martin wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm looking for an Ada 95 compiler for the macintosh.  The FAQ lists
> only one free and one commercial Ada 83 compiler.  With "hundreds of
> Ada compilers" out there, I'm kind of amazed there's nothing else.  Is
> that true?

As far as I know (and I've been looking for Mac compilers for years),
this is the case. You can use the (free) GW Ada 83 compiler, or the
(relatively cheap) Meridian 83 product. I have both; the Meridian is not
bad for production work, and the GW Ada is OK as a teaching tool.

It looks like the first (beta) Ada 95 compiler will be, bizarrely 
enough, the AppletMagic compiler from Intermetrics. Check out their web 
page for when the beta will be available. You'll need a Java-compatible 
browser to see the results, however.

I also saw a notice that a second compiler is in the works; I think it's 
for the Power Mac only, however.

You do have at least three other choices:

1. Use the WebAda compiler at

   http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/AdaIC/compilers/webada/

2. Get SoftWindows for either the Power Mac or Performa, and run a
   DOS or Windows compiler. I won't guarantee this will work, or
   be particularly quick, but it's a possibility.

3. Get a DOS card (variant of #2).

> Thanks,
> Martin

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Gary McKee]

In article <316CBFEF.7D35@lfwc.lockheed.com>,
Ken Garlington <garlingtonke@lfwc.lockheed.com> wrote:

 > Martin C. Martin wrote:
 > > I'm looking for an Ada 95 compiler for the macintosh.  The FAQ lists
 > > only one free and one commercial Ada 83 compiler.  With "hundreds of
 > > Ada compilers" out there, I'm kind of amazed there's nothing else.  Is
 > > that true?
 > ...
 > I also saw a notice that a second compiler is in the works; I think it's

 > for the Power Mac only, however.
--------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We are working on a port of GNAT to the Macintosh.
        (running Tenon Intersystems machten UNIX)

An alpha release is due late this month (30/April).
        (sans tasking, foreign language interfaces)

Another interim release at mid-summer.

And, a final in late september.
        (with tasking, foreign language interfaces)

Releases will include some of the Mac toolbox API (midsummer)
The compiler runs on Tenon Intersystems MachTen (bsd UNIX).

check out our WWW page.
        WWW Page:      http://gnat-mac.com/macada/



--------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary McKee                           McKee Consulting
gmckee@cloudnine.com                 P. O. Box 3009
voice: (303) 795-7287                Littleton, CO 80161-3009
WWW home page =>                     <http://www.csn.net/~gmckee/>
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Greg Bond]

Gary McKee wrote:
> We are working on a port of GNAT to the Macintosh.
>         (running Tenon Intersystems machten UNIX)

Kudos to Gary and Tenon for this. I am one of those people who seems to 
actively seek out marginalized (but IMHO superiour) technologies (Macs, 
Ada 95, MachTen), so I'm thrilled to see that I'm not alone.

--
* Greg Bond                         * Dept. of Electrical Eng.  
* email: bond@ee.ubc.ca             * Univ. of British Columbia      
* voice: (604) 822 0899             * 2356 Main Mall                 
* fax:   (604) 822 5949             * Vancouver, BC              
* web: http://www.ee.ubc.ca/~bond   * Canada, V6T 1Z4

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Robert Dewar]

Ken Garlington said

"It looks like the first (beta) Ada 95 compiler will be, bizarrely
enough, the AppletMagic compiler from Intermetrics. Check out their web
page for when the beta will be available. You'll need a Java-compatible
browser to see the results, however.

I also saw a notice that a second compiler is in the works; I think it's
for the Power Mac only, however."

As has been announced here before, GNAT compilers for both the 68K and
PPC Mac, running under Machten, are in the works, and beta versions of
these wlil be available very shortly (alpha testing is already in
progress). Full details of this project will be announced within the
next week or two.

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Kent Paul Dolan]

In article <dewar.829236825@schonberg>, dewar@cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) wrote:

> As has been announced here before, GNAT compilers for both the 68K and
> PPC Mac, running under Machten, are in the works, and beta versions of
> these wlil be available very shortly (alpha testing is already in
> progress). Full details of this project will be announced within the
> next week or two.

Are these self standing with their own Mac runtime libraries, or will this
still require that a C compiler for the Mac be purchased before any
interesting work can be done?

[And granted the Mac OS is the pits (no flames please, I'm typing at one,
it crashes multiple times a day running standard commercial software), how
small a population of users are you expecting to select for MacGNAT by
requiring also that a piggyback OS be in place?  I know I wouldn't
personally consider it worth the trouble, compared to a GNAT or other
Ada95 compiler running directly under the MacOS and including needed
runtime libraries to program to the Mac user interface, which I would
instantly download/purchase and use (even if the Mac OS _is_ dreck), just
to get some productive use out of this boat-anchor and the space it is
consuming on my desk at work.]

-- 
Xanthian.                  | "..want the consequences of what you want.." | 
Kent, the man from xanth.  |        Neil A. Maxwell, LDS Apostle          |
Kent Paul Dolan            ------------------------------------------------
xanthian@{well,qualcomm}.com     Jobhunting?  Check www.qualcomm.com!

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Robert Dewar]

Kent said

"Are these self standing with their own Mac runtime libraries, or will this
still require that a C compiler for the Mac be purchased before any
interesting work can be done?"

Of course these do not require a C compiler to be purchased, whatever
gave you that idea? All GNAT compilers naturally include a C compiler
as well, since they are based on GCC.

As for the issue of whether people will want this version, we have lots
of people panting to use it :-) If you are not among them, no problem
(doesn't exactly sound like you are a typical Mac fan :-)

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Greg Bond]

Kent Paul Dolan wrote:
> 
> In article <dewar.829236825@schonberg>, dewar@cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) wrote:
> 
> > As has been announced here before, GNAT compilers for both the 68K and
> > PPC Mac, running under Machten, are in the works, and beta versions of
> > these wlil be available very shortly (alpha testing is already in
> > progress). Full details of this project will be announced within the
> > next week or two.
> 
> Are these self standing with their own Mac runtime libraries, or will this
> still require that a C compiler for the Mac be purchased before any
> interesting work can be done?

MachTen comes with the full GNU program development tool suite.

> [And granted the Mac OS is the pits (no flames please, I'm typing at one,
> it crashes multiple times a day running standard commercial software),

And, of course "standard commercial software" is guaranteed bug-free. I run 
MachTen (including X windows and a dial-up PPP server) and the MacOS (with 
Netscape 2.01, and EtherTalk) side by side for days at a time without a 
crash. Windows 95 on a stand alone machine is as susceptible to crashes as 
the MacOS when running ill-behaved apps.

> how
> small a population of users are you expecting to select for MacGNAT by
> requiring also that a piggyback OS be in place?  I know I wouldn't
> personally consider it worth the trouble, compared to a GNAT or other
> Ada95 compiler running directly under the MacOS and including needed
> runtime libraries to program to the Mac user interface, which I would
> instantly download/purchase and use (even if the Mac OS _is_ dreck), just
> to get some productive use out of this boat-anchor and the space it is
> consuming on my desk at work.]

Well, such an Ada95 compiler is not in the works so GNAT under MachTen is 
the only alternative at present - your loss if you consider this too much 
"trouble". The MachTen program devlopment suite also enables writing Mac apps 
(to run on the MacOS) since MachTen executables (for the PPC) are the same 
format as MacOS executables. This means it should be possible (with some 
foreign C code glue, and/or an appropriate Ada binding) to write Mac apps in 
Ada 95. Here's a brief excerpt from the MachTen 4.0.2 User's Guide:

"One of the benefits of producing PEF formatted binary images is that the 
MachTen software development tools may be used to produce Apple standard 
application programs. To develop Macintosh applications, the software must 
use standard Apple interface libraries and Apple standard interface header 
definition files, it must specify a non-standard startup routine providing 
for proper startup data definition and proper program exit and follow Apple 
system programming rules (e.g. WaitNextEvent, MoreMasters etc.)."

--
* Greg Bond                         * Dept. of Electrical Eng.  
* email: bond@ee.ubc.ca             * Univ. of British Columbia      
* voice: (604) 822 0899             * 2356 Main Mall                 
* fax:   (604) 822 5949             * Vancouver, BC              
* web: http://www.ee.ubc.ca/~bond   * Canada, V6T 1Z4

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Gary McKee]

In article <xanthian-1104961544390001@kdolan-mac.qualcomm.com>,
xanthian@qualcomm.com (Kent Paul Dolan) wrote:

 > Are these self standing with their own Mac runtime libraries, or will
this
 > still require that a C compiler for the Mac be purchased before any
 > interesting work can be done?
 > 
 > [And granted the Mac OS is the pits (no flames please, I'm typing at
one,
 > it crashes multiple times a day running standard commercial software),
how
 > small a population of users are you expecting to select for MacGNAT by
 > requiring also that a piggyback OS be in place?  I know I wouldn't
 > personally consider it worth the trouble, compared to a GNAT or other
 > Ada95 compiler running directly under the MacOS and including needed
 > runtime libraries to program to the Mac user interface, which I would
 > instantly download/purchase and use (even if the Mac OS _is_ dreck),
just
 > to get some productive use out of this boat-anchor and the space it is
 > consuming on my desk at work.]
--------------------------------------------------------
Our Ada95 compilers on the Mac will require the Tenon Intersystems' MachTen
UNIX.The required configuration is:

PPC - System 7.5.1, Machten 4.02, memory, disk, etc.
68k - System 7.5.1, Machten 2.3,  memory, disk, etc.

If you have the MachTen, then all of our stuff can be downloaded from the
NET. Later this fall, Tenon will be marketing a SW development CD-ROM with
their UNIX and our Ada compilers on it.

We are doing the best we can with the resources available. We would be
delighted to have an opportunity to deliver a native Mac compiler, all we
need is funding !

Our compiler is built on GNAT so we won't make much money selling compilers
;-). We are involved in this process because we, as a team, find value in
having a validated Ada95 compiler available on the machines that we prefer
to use.

Our PPC compiler will incude a library of Ada packages that provide
interfaces to the Mac API so that we can generate native Mac applications
even if the compiler requires the MachTen.


--------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary McKee                           McKee Consulting
gmckee@cloudnine.com                 P. O. Box 3009
voice: (303) 795-7287                Littleton, CO 80161-3009
WWW home page =>                     <http://www.csn.net/~gmckee/>
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Ken Garlington]

Gary McKee wrote:
> 
> Our compiler is built on GNAT so we won't make much money selling compilers
> ;-).

Are you going to sell maintenance and support services, like ACT?

Re: Ada95 compilers for the Macintosh

[Gary McKee]

In article <31729F8A.57C6@lfwc.lockheed.com>,
Ken Garlington <garlingtonke@lfwc.lockheed.com> wrote:

 > Gary McKee wrote:
 > > 
 > > Our compiler is built on GNAT so we won't make much money selling
compilers
 > > ;-).
 > 
 > Are you going to sell maintenance and support services, like ACT?
--------------------------------------------------------
ACT (one of our partners) will be selling maintenance support.

My company (McKee Consulting) will be selling:
1) software development services on and for the Mac (in Ada95);
2) Ada95 language training using the Mac for class exercises; and,
3) Other S/W tools on the Mac that benefit from a high quality Ada95
compiler.

But first, we have to get the compiler out the door and validated.


--------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary McKee                           McKee Consulting
gmckee@cloudnine.com                 P. O. Box 3009
voice: (303) 795-7287                Littleton, CO 80161-3009
WWW home page =>                     <http://www.csn.net/~gmckee/>
--------------------------------------------------------------------