Recommendations??

Recommendations??

[Larry Hazel]

I need to reprogram several small to medium size GUI applications to run 
on Windows and Linux.  Currently programmed in FoxPro for Windows (have 
to use an old version of Windows to make them run).  So I need a 
database interface and GUI development tool to go with the public GNAT 
compiler.

What do you recommend?  I have a lot of experience with Ada 83, but it's 
been a while.  Only read about Ada 95 (John Barnes book and the 
Rationale).  I have always used vi for writing code and would still be 
comfortable with that.

Re: Recommendations??

[Larry Hazel]

Larry Hazel wrote:

> I need to reprogram several small to medium size GUI applications to run 
> on Windows and Linux.  Currently programmed in FoxPro for Windows (have 
> to use an old version of Windows to make them run).  So I need a 
> database interface and GUI development tool to go with the public GNAT 
> compiler.
> 
> What do you recommend?  I have a lot of experience with Ada 83, but it's 
> been a while.  Only read about Ada 95 (John Barnes book and the 
> Rationale).  I have always used vi for writing code and would still be 
> comfortable with that.
> 
Also, recommendations for which version of Linux to use will be appreciated.

Re: Recommendations??

[Ed Falis]

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 13:25:21 -0500, Larry Hazel <lhhazel@otelco.net> wrote:

> Also, recommendations for which version of Linux to use will be  
> appreciated.
>

Get GTKAda from libre.act-europe.fr.  Get gtk-glade to use as a gui  
builder for it.  Search for GNADE for the database part (probably at  
www.adapower.com or www.adaworld.com). Use the latest public versions of  
GNAT (libre.act-europe.fr again).

My personal favorite linux distro is libranet, which is based on Debian.   
It's a "pay-fer" but it's pretty inexpensive.  www.libranet.com.  Very  
user/desktop friendly, and has the advantage of Debian package management.

Just my opinions,

- Ed

Re: Recommendations??

[Preben Randhol]

On 2004-04-30, Larry Hazel <lhhazel@otelco.net> wrote:
> Also, recommendations for which version of Linux to use will be appreciated.

Debian (Testing version, will some be the new stable release). Then you


-- 
Preben Randhol -------- http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/

()  "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent"
/\                                   - Isaac Asimov

Re: Recommendations??

[Preben Randhol]

On 2004-04-30, Ed Falis <falis@verizon.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 13:25:21 -0500, Larry Hazel <lhhazel@otelco.net> wrote:
>
>> Also, recommendations for which version of Linux to use will be  
>> appreciated.
>>
>
> Get GTKAda from libre.act-europe.fr.  Get gtk-glade to use as a gui  
> builder for it.  Search for GNADE for the database part (probably at  
> www.adapower.com or www.adaworld.com). Use the latest public versions of  
> GNAT (libre.act-europe.fr again).

Wrong solution if one plan to use Debian or debian based distros.

> My personal favorite linux distro is libranet, which is based on Debian.   
> It's a "pay-fer" but it's pretty inexpensive.  www.libranet.com.  Very  
> user/desktop friendly, and has the advantage of Debian package management.

So why do you then recommend people to download teh source files when
they can easily install the debian packages?

http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?searchon=names&subword=1&version=all&release=all&keywords=libgtkada2&sourceid=mozilla-search

-- 
Preben Randhol -------- http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/

()  "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent"
/\                                   - Isaac Asimov

Re: Recommendations??

[Ed Falis]

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 18:48:44 +0000 (UTC), Preben Randhol  
<randhol+valid_for_reply_from_news@pvv.org> wrote:

>
> So why do you then recommend people to download teh source files when
> they can easily install the debian packages?
>
> http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?searchon=names&subword=1&version=all&release=all&keywords=libgtkada2&sourceid=mozilla-search
>

Of course, you're right.  I hadn't started thinking about Debian until  
Larry's second post arrived.  Ludovic's packaging of various Ada  
capabilities for Debian is the best way to get them.

- Ed

Re: Recommendations??

[Preben Randhol]

On 2004-04-30, Larry Hazel <lhhazel@otelco.net> wrote:
> I need to reprogram several small to medium size GUI applications to run 
> on Windows and Linux.  Currently programmed in FoxPro for Windows (have 
> to use an old version of Windows to make them run).  So I need a 
> database interface and GUI development tool to go with the public GNAT 
> compiler.
>
> What do you recommend?

GtkAda. 

   Info documentation: http://libre.act-europe.fr/GtkAda/ 

Here you can see how Gtk(Ada) looks in Windows:

   http://gtk-wimp.sourceforge.net/screenshots/

Here are Gtk Themes for Linux

   http://themes.freshmeat.net/browse/958/

> I have a lot of experience with Ada 83, but it's 
> been a while.  Only read about Ada 95 (John Barnes book and the 
> Rationale).  I have always used vi for writing code and would still be 
> comfortable with that.

I strongly recommend that you use vim (VI iMproved). I have some unfinished
Ada scripts that can be helpful if you want a copy.

   http://www.vim.org/

I use Vim and here is a screenshot how it looks like when I code with my
setup:

   http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/Vim/project-ada.png

(Picture is from Linux, but you can get the same behaviour in Windows)

I use these excellent scripts:

   http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=31
   http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=69
   http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=58
   http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=21

If you prefer a different IDE there is also:

   http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=95

but I like the project approch more.

-- 
Preben Randhol -------- http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/

()  "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent"
/\                                   - Isaac Asimov

Re: Recommendations??

[Ludovic Brenta]

"Ed Falis" writes:
> On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 18:48:44 +0000 (UTC), Preben Randhol
> wrote:
> 
> >
> > So why do you then recommend people to download teh source files when
> > they can easily install the debian packages?
> >
> > http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?searchon=names&subword=1&version=all&release=all&keywords=libgtkada2&sourceid=mozilla-search
> >
> 
> Of course, you're right.  I hadn't started thinking about Debian until
> Larry's second post arrived.  Ludovic's packaging of various Ada
> capabilities for Debian is the best way to get them.

Thanks, Preben and Ed.  Here is a vanity URL that will help finding
Ada packages in Debian:

http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=ludovic.brenta%40insalien.org

Note that there are several other Ada packages besides those I
maintain (adasockets, ada-reference-manual, adacgi and a few end-user
apps).

-- 
Ludovic Brenta.

Re: Recommendations??

[Larry Hazel]

Larry Hazel wrote:

> I need to reprogram several small to medium size GUI applications to run 
> on Windows and Linux.  Currently programmed in FoxPro for Windows (have 
> to use an old version of Windows to make them run).  So I need a 
> database interface and GUI development tool to go with the public GNAT 
> compiler.
> 
> What do you recommend?  I have a lot of experience with Ada 83, but it's 
> been a while.  Only read about Ada 95 (John Barnes book and the 
> Rationale).  I have always used vi for writing code and would still be 
> comfortable with that.
> 
Thanks for the recommendations thus far.  It surely would be nice if all 
this was packaged together somewhere so I could install without reading 
a lot of documentation and have it available to play with while I'm 
learning.

This is starting to sound like a lot of work to get up to speed, but I'm 
gonna give it a shot.  I thought I retired 5 years ago :)

Re: Recommendations??

[Preben Randhol]

On 2004-05-01, Larry Hazel <lhhazel@otelco.net> wrote:
> Thanks for the recommendations thus far.  It surely would be nice if all 
> this was packaged together somewhere so I could install without reading 
> a lot of documentation and have it available to play with while I'm 
> learning.

In Debian you do this to get say the Gnat compiler installed:

apt-get update
apt-get install gnat

(the first line is just to get up to speed with the repositories)

then all packages which gnat depend on will be installed.

Say I want to install GtkAda2 and XmlAda and ASIS then I do (after
running apt-get update):

#  apt-get install libasis-3.15p-1-dev libgtkada2-dev libxmlada1-dev

   Reading Package Lists... Done
   Building Dependency Tree... Done
   The following extra packages will be installed:
     gnat
   Suggested packages:
     gnat-glade gnat-doc asis-programs gch asis
   Recommended packages:
     xlibmesa-glu-dev libglu-dev
   The following NEW packages will be installed:
     gnat libasis-3.15p-1-dev libgtkada2-dev libxmlada1-dev
   0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 36 not upgraded.
   Need to get 16.9MB of archives.
   After unpacking 71.0MB of additional disk space will be used.
   Do you want to continue? [Y/n] 

As you can see the system detects that I do not have the Gnat compiler
installed an it installs it for me. It also suggest packages that can be
useful or are recommended but nor required.

> This is starting to sound like a lot of work to get up to speed, but I'm 
> gonna give it a shot.  I thought I retired 5 years ago :)

http://www.debian.org/

http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual

I recommend that you install the base system from the stable
distribution and then upgrade to the testing version from the net.

-- 
Preben Randhol -------- http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/

()  "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent"
/\                                   - Isaac Asimov

Re: Recommendations??

[Stephen Leake]

Larry Hazel <lhhazel@otelco.net> writes:

> I need to reprogram several small to medium size GUI applications to
> run on Windows and Linux.  Currently programmed in FoxPro for Windows
> (have to use an old version of Windows to make them run).  So I need a
> database interface and GUI development tool to go with the public GNAT
> compiler.

GNADE is at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnade

Others have recommended GtkAda.

Welcome back to the good life :).

-- 
-- Stephe