Ada and WinNT

Ada and WinNT

[Jeramie Kopp]

Is there anyone out there who has had the pleasure of creating Ada
applications for WinNT?

Namely, I need to create a structure and store it at a predefined address
(ie for X'Address use A).  WinNT has that wonderful element called the
Hardware Abstraction Layer, and I cannot seem to break through.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jeramie Kopp

Re: Ada and WinNT

[Michael F Brenner]

Namely, I need to create a structure and store it at a predefined address
Jeramie > (ie for X'Address use A)  
        > WinNT has that wonderful element called the
        >  Hardware Abstraction Layer, and I cannot seem to break through.
  
This problem is increasing as the number of nt interfaces grows. How
do you do the following in Ada (or C or assembler for that matter):

   (a) light up a dot using x'address in a Ring 0 module without
             being thrown into 16-bit emulation mode

   (b) light up a dot using the ordinary nt interfaces

   (c) light up a dot using active x

   (d) light up a dot using direct x

   (e) get a reliable stream out of the COM port, 
       the keyboard UP and DOWN strokes, 
       the mouse strokes, 
       etc.

NT's lack of reliable streaming IN (mouse, keyboard UP strokes, 
serial, parallel, etc.), and streaming OUT (to memory addresses, 
pixels, serial, parallel) is quite troublesome. Private modules 
and unsafe commercial applications are being produced specificially 
because of lack of these features in NT. 

It would be nice to have a web site showing how to do these things,
so nt's could get the information from their memory mapped devices
like other operating systems can, and so programs can light up the
dots on the screen in realtime.

Re: Ada and WinNT

[Jerry van Dijk]

Michael F Brenner (mfb@mbunix.mitre.org) wrote:

:    (a) light up a dot using x'address in a Ring 0 module without
:              being thrown into 16-bit emulation mode

Write a device driver that runs at Ring 0

:    (b) light up a dot using the ordinary nt interfaces

Use the appropriate Win32 level 4 API call.

:    (c) light up a dot using active x

Never tried that.

:    (d) light up a dot using direct x

Use the DirectDraw interface API.

:    (e) get a reliable stream out of the COM port, 
:        the keyboard UP and DOWN strokes, 
:        the mouse strokes, 
:        etc.

Use the Console API.

: NT's lack of reliable streaming IN (mouse, keyboard UP strokes, 
: serial, parallel, etc.), and streaming OUT (to memory addresses, 
: pixels, serial, parallel) is quite troublesome.

I'm not sure what you mean by reliable ? You mean without interference
from the sheduler ?

: It would be nice to have a web site showing how to do these things,
: so nt's could get the information from their memory mapped devices
: like other operating systems can, and so programs can light up the
: dots on the screen in realtime.

You mean AdaGraph isn't realtime ? <g&d>

Jerry.
-- 
-- Jerry van Dijk  | email: jdijk@acm.org
-- Leiden, Holland | member Team-Ada