Ada free RAD tools development

Ada free RAD tools development

[David Botton]

Interested in the creation of a Delphi like environment for Ada, read on:

Work has already begun in this monumental project.

1. GUI Classes
2. RAD tools

1. Gui Classes
===========

A complete cross platform (slated for X, Win32, and JVM) set of GUI classes
are being implemented which will be the foundation of the frame work for
RAD development.

The following classes are already up on Win32:
	GWindow - General top level window and basis for all windows and controls
	GCanvas - A drawing canvas for Windows, bitmaps, etc.
	GButton
	GLabel
	GPanel
	GText_Box

A specific control GActiveX for using ActiveX controls on Win32 already has
some promise. (Much more to go)

There is a working calculator example application and examples of using, 
the canvas, dynamic creation, the controls, using call backs at the library
level, and the GNAT specific Unrestricted_Access to get around this
restriction.

The classes support extension through inheritance and through "call back"
subroutines.

Known of the controls uses Windows widgets, but instead is hand painted and
controlled through the frame work allowing for consistent look and feel on
all platforms. In addition, the second layer of classes that are being
planned for extended RAD use will support pluggable "skins" for look and
feel.

For more information contact David Botton (David@Botton.com) or post to
c.l.a., to contribute suggestions, ideas, or to help.

It is the intention that these classes will work on any Ada 95 compiler
supporting the xlib, java.awt or Win32 bindings. Although work is currently
only being done using GNAT.


2. RAD tools
==========

Martin Carlisle is working on using the GUI classes for his next version of
RAPID. ftp://ftp.usafa.af.mil/pub/dfcs/carlisle/usafa/rapid/index.html

RAPID - Rapid Ada Portable Interface Design Tool

The will allow programmers to easily create a GUI using the above classes
for their applications by simply drawing them.

For more information contact Martin Carlisle.


Future
=====

Once the initial foundations are set, a project plan will be put together
for the creation of a full blown RAD tool, component architecture, database
support, reporting tools, OOD tools, and much more.


What you can do
============

Even if you can not contribute time to code, write documentation, design
icons, etc. Maybe you can help by adding your ideas and answers to
questions like:

What features would you like to see in a product like this?
What products already exist that could be integrated with this?
What is your dream IDE? Details!
How could we get companies to contribute hardware, compilers, bindings,
etc. to get this done quicker and cheaper?

You want the killer App to ride the Linux wave, here it is!

Re: Ada free RAD tools development

[rajagopalasrinivasan]

Way to go. Good luck.

I will be willing to undertake some tasks like beta testing, example software
and probably documentation. I have access to Win95, Win98, WinNT and Linux RH2
systems.

Please let me know - though at my private email tubinson@hotmail.com


In article <01be4b2d$c172f2a0$0a18b70a@DBHP>,
  "David Botton" <dbotton@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Interested in the creation of a Delphi like environment for Ada, read on:
>
> Work has already begun in this monumental project.
>
> 1. GUI Classes
> 2. RAD tools
>
> 1. Gui Classes
> ===========
>
> A complete cross platform (slated for X, Win32, and JVM) set of GUI classes
> are being implemented which will be the foundation of the frame work for
> RAD development.
>
> The following classes are already up on Win32:
> 	GWindow - General top level window and basis for all windows and
controls
> 	GCanvas - A drawing canvas for Windows, bitmaps, etc.
> 	GButton
> 	GLabel
> 	GPanel
> 	GText_Box
>
> A specific control GActiveX for using ActiveX controls on Win32 already has
> some promise. (Much more to go)
>
> There is a working calculator example application and examples of using,
> the canvas, dynamic creation, the controls, using call backs at the library
> level, and the GNAT specific Unrestricted_Access to get around this
> restriction.
>
> The classes support extension through inheritance and through "call back"
> subroutines.
>
> Known of the controls uses Windows widgets, but instead is hand painted and
> controlled through the frame work allowing for consistent look and feel on
> all platforms. In addition, the second layer of classes that are being
> planned for extended RAD use will support pluggable "skins" for look and
> feel.
>
> For more information contact David Botton (David@Botton.com) or post to
> c.l.a., to contribute suggestions, ideas, or to help.
>
> It is the intention that these classes will work on any Ada 95 compiler
> supporting the xlib, java.awt or Win32 bindings. Although work is currently
> only being done using GNAT.
>
> 2. RAD tools
> ==========
>
> Martin Carlisle is working on using the GUI classes for his next version of
> RAPID. ftp://ftp.usafa.af.mil/pub/dfcs/carlisle/usafa/rapid/index.html
>
> RAPID - Rapid Ada Portable Interface Design Tool
>
> The will allow programmers to easily create a GUI using the above classes
> for their applications by simply drawing them.
>
> For more information contact Martin Carlisle.
>
> Future
> =====
>
> Once the initial foundations are set, a project plan will be put together
> for the creation of a full blown RAD tool, component architecture, database
> support, reporting tools, OOD tools, and much more.
>
> What you can do
> ============
>
> Even if you can not contribute time to code, write documentation, design
> icons, etc. Maybe you can help by adding your ideas and answers to
> questions like:
>
> What features would you like to see in a product like this?
> What products already exist that could be integrated with this?
> What is your dream IDE? Details!
> How could we get companies to contribute hardware, compilers, bindings,
> etc. to get this done quicker and cheaper?
>
> You want the killer App to ride the Linux wave, here it is!
>

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/       Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own    

Re: Ada free RAD tools development

[Juergen Pfeifer]

Why don't you simply use the GTK bindings for the GUI stuff?! It runs on all UNIXes
and is currently ported to Win32. So you'll have a consistent look-and-feel.

Juergen

David Botton wrote:

> Interested in the creation of a Delphi like environment for Ada, read on:
>
> Work has already begun in this monumental project.
>
> 1. GUI Classes
> 2. RAD tools
>
> 1. Gui Classes
> ===========
>
> A complete cross platform (slated for X, Win32, and JVM) set of GUI classes
> are being implemented which will be the foundation of the frame work for
> RAD development.
>
> The following classes are already up on Win32:
>         GWindow - General top level window and basis for all windows and controls
>         GCanvas - A drawing canvas for Windows, bitmaps, etc.
>         GButton
>         GLabel
>         GPanel
>         GText_Box
>
> A specific control GActiveX for using ActiveX controls on Win32 already has
> some promise. (Much more to go)
>
> There is a working calculator example application and examples of using,
> the canvas, dynamic creation, the controls, using call backs at the library
> level, and the GNAT specific Unrestricted_Access to get around this
> restriction.
>
> The classes support extension through inheritance and through "call back"
> subroutines.
>
> Known of the controls uses Windows widgets, but instead is hand painted and
> controlled through the frame work allowing for consistent look and feel on
> all platforms. In addition, the second layer of classes that are being
> planned for extended RAD use will support pluggable "skins" for look and
> feel.
>
> For more information contact David Botton (David@Botton.com) or post to
> c.l.a., to contribute suggestions, ideas, or to help.
>
> It is the intention that these classes will work on any Ada 95 compiler
> supporting the xlib, java.awt or Win32 bindings. Although work is currently
> only being done using GNAT.
>
> 2. RAD tools
> ==========
>
> Martin Carlisle is working on using the GUI classes for his next version of
> RAPID. ftp://ftp.usafa.af.mil/pub/dfcs/carlisle/usafa/rapid/index.html
>
> RAPID - Rapid Ada Portable Interface Design Tool
>
> The will allow programmers to easily create a GUI using the above classes
> for their applications by simply drawing them.
>
> For more information contact Martin Carlisle.
>
> Future
> =====
>
> Once the initial foundations are set, a project plan will be put together
> for the creation of a full blown RAD tool, component architecture, database
> support, reporting tools, OOD tools, and much more.
>
> What you can do
> ============
>
> Even if you can not contribute time to code, write documentation, design
> icons, etc. Maybe you can help by adding your ideas and answers to
> questions like:
>
> What features would you like to see in a product like this?
> What products already exist that could be integrated with this?
> What is your dream IDE? Details!
> How could we get companies to contribute hardware, compilers, bindings,
> etc. to get this done quicker and cheaper?
>
> You want the killer App to ride the Linux wave, here it is!

--
http://home.t-online.de/home/Juergen.Pfeifer

Re: Ada free RAD tools development

[David Botton]

Why, because I want an Ada solution that I can write C/C++ bindings too :)

1. GTK + Ada bindings wasn't available for Win32 when I started
2. It still isn't available for the Java Virtual Machine
3. I bet I make it to the JVM before GTK does
4. To port the classes I am working on to other systems (OS/2, Mac,
whatever) will be a sinch.
5. These classes are smaller and faster.
6. I want to be able to easily extend the classes, etc. in Ada
7. I wanted complete control over the look and feel from with in Ada, ie. I
want to paint my own controls using Ada.
8. I wanted to write my own frame work for fun!
9. I want to prove that Ada can not only do it, but better.
10. The people who wrote GTK are proud they did it in C
11. GTK doesn't support ActiveX controls on Win32

If I think about it some more, I'm sure I can come up with some other
reasons too.

In fact, I can't come up with any reasons not to write a brand new set of
classes in Ada that are cross platform and OpenSource.

It is about time Ada showed that it can play ball too.

David Botton


Juergen Pfeifer <Juergen.Pfeifer@t-online.de> wrote in article
<36B1C91F.192E0C4D@t-online.de>...
> Why don't you simply use the GTK bindings for the GUI stuff?! It runs on
all UNIXes
> and is currently ported to Win32. So you'll have a consistent
look-and-feel.
> 
> Juergen
> 

Re: Ada free RAD tools development

[Gerhard Haering]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 708 bytes --]

David Botton wrote:

> Interested in the creation of a Delphi like environment for Ada, read on:
>
> Work has already begun in this monumental project.
>
> 1. GUI Classes
> 2. RAD tools

I'd like to help developing the GUI class libraries. I am not an expert in Ada
programming until now, but I have done my own GUI libraries a few years ago. I have
access to Win32 Intel systems, Intel Linux and SPARC and Intel Solaris. Have you
thought about re-implementing the Java Swing classes in Ada? I think they're quite
straightforward and a number of programmers are already familiar with this existing
library. Please point me to a URL where I can find sources and/or additional info
about the project.

Gerhard

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