READ ME: HOW TO GET HELP (Welcome, Students!)

READ ME: HOW TO GET HELP (Welcome, Students!)

[Samuel Mize]

REVISED 14 Jun 97: added mention of http://www.acm.org/sigada

WELCOME!
--------

Welcome to comp.lang.ada!  Ideas, opinions and appropriate questions
are always welcome.

Here are some suggestions.  They will help you get the best help you can.

These aren't iron rules enforced by some Net Police Force.  However, if you
ignore them, you may get angry email instead of help.

I'll state them, then explain them.  After that I've listed some online
resources you can use to help yourself.

THE "RULES":
------------

  1. Don't ask us to write your code.

  2. Use a subject line that says what you are asking about.

  3. For basic language or how-to questions, comp.lang.ada helps those
     who help themselves.  Try to use other resources first.

  4. Tell us whether you're using Ada 83 or Ada 95.

  5. Provide a valid email address for replies.

  6. The clearer your question, the clearer the answer.


DETAILED SUGGESTIONS:
---------------------

1. Don't ask us to write your code.

   We won't do your homework.  Someone will probably email your
   request to your teacher.

   However, it's fair to ask where to find examples of a particular
   language feature, which you can study.  For Ada 83, check the
   repositories (below) before posting a request.


2. Use a subject line that says what you are asking about.

   "HELP on protected types" would be appropriate.  "question" or
   "HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" are not.


3. For basic language or how-to questions, comp.lang.ada helps those
   who help themselves.  Try to use other resources first.

   Check your books and teachers before asking here.  Also, check out
   the net resources (including online tutorials!) listed below.  If
   self-teaching, get a textbook or tutorial.

   If you've tried, mention that in your message.  For instance,
   "This seems basic but my professor can't explain it" or "I'm in
   an isolated hut on Papua New Guinea and have nobody else to ask."
   This shows us that you're not just too lazy to do your own work.

   Asking on comp.lang.ada is your last resort, not your first.
   Imagine the flood of message traffic if every CS/Ada student asked
   just one basic question a week!


4. Tell us whether you're using Ada 83 or Ada 95.

   If you're asking about linking problems or what libraries are
   available, tell us what compiler and operating system you're using.

   If you don't know, you don't know enough about what you're doing
   to post a question.  Check with your teacher, read the compiler
   documents, read the online tutorials, get hold of a textbook.


5. Provide a valid email address for replies.

   Many people will email you a helpful note, but won't post it to
   avoid cluttering the newsgroup.  If you have no email address, they
   just won't write.  If you don't have email, say so.


6. The clearer your question, the clearer the answer.

   For coding questions, show one SMALL code snippet.  If something
   doesn't work, TELL US WHAT IT FAILS TO DO:
   - does it refuse to compile?  (With what message?)
   - does it die when run?  (What line exactly?  What exception?)
   - does it not do what you expect?  (What did you expect?)

   We aren't at your school, let alone in your class, and we can't
   read your mind.  Tell us what you're trying to do, and exactly
   what's blocking you.


ONLINE RESOURCES:
-----------------

http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/AdaIC
  Ada Information Clearing House.  "...Ada news, programming
  guidelines, tools, source-code, policy, and educational
  opportunities!"  Includes:

    http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/AdaIC/docs/flyers/95cplus.shtml
      Compares Ada to C++

    http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/AdaIC/standards/
      Standards and guidelines, including:
        - Ada 95 Language Reference Manual
        - Rationale for the Ada 95 Standard
        - Ada 95 Quality and Style: Guidelines for Professional Programmers

    and a WHOLE LOT more.

    If you only have ftp (no web), connect to sw-eng.falls-church.va.us
    and log on as "anonymous" giving your email address as a password.


http://www.adahome.com
  Adahome is a great online resource for Ada information.  Has links
  for compilers and tools (including free or cheap compilers), a job
  center, and a "Discovery" section for learning about Ada.  Includes:

    http://www.adahome.com/rm95/
      A hypertext version of the Ada 95 reference manual

    http://www.adahome.com/Discover/
      The first page of the "Discovery" section, which includes
      tutorials, book reviews, CODE EXAMPLES, and other information
      about Ada.

    http://www.adahome.com/Tutorials/Lovelace/lovelace.html
      The "Lovelace" online Ada tutorial

Both of these sites have pointers to repositories full of Ada code
you can study and reuse (mostly Ada 83 at present).


http://www.acm.org/sigada
  The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is an excellent
  resource for students and professionals, and their SIGAda (Special
  Interest Group for Ada) is quite active.  This is their home web
  page.  It includes a lot of information about currently available
  tools and currently active vendors and organizations.  It also has
  easy-access pointers to some useful resources at other sites (it may
  save you some time digging).  It includes:

    http://www.acm.org/sigada/education
      This is an entry point designed for students, so it may better
      serve your needs IF you are using a web browser that supports
      Frames (if you don't know, try it).


FINALLY:
--------
Best wishes and good luck!  We hope you find using Ada as exciting
an adventure as we do.


-- 
Samuel Mize -- smize@imagin.net -- Team Ada
(personal net account)