From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Status: No, score=1.6 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_20,REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,e6419f679dfe5f9c,start X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: smize@news.imagin.net (Samuel Mize) Subject: READ ME: HOW TO GET HELP (Welcome, Students!) Date: 1997/06/14 Message-ID: <5nukra$2o67$1@prime.imagin.net> X-Deja-AN: 248393637 Organization: ImagiNet Communications Ltd, Arlington, Texas Reply-To: smize@imagin.net (Samuel Mize) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-06-14T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: 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)