Re: Ada Windows compilers

[<pukite@daina.com>]

casioa@bah.com  <casioa@bah.com> wrote:
>I used Aetech's Integrada for windows last year and was not impressed; it was 
>buggy and just didn't work very well. I have long used Alsys' PC Ada compilers 
>and am wondering if their ActivAda is just a re-packaged Integrada, or is it 
>indeed as robust as their PC compilers? 
>
>Also, I would welcome any critical feedback on other Ada windows compilers. 
>I've tried Meridian's and didn't like it either.

Considering it only cost $249, I thought the Meridian compiler 
worked pretty well.  Version 1.0 had some restrictions, 
but version 2.0 fixed all these and removed all the bugs I 
came across in 1.0. 

Everything works fine:
  - Generic programming 
  - Dynamic memory allocation using New
  - Ada DLLs (also does DOS execs)
  - Exception handling
  - Pragmas for importing DLLs and specifying callbacks
  - Tasking, if you abide by Windows event-handling rules
  - File Text_IO, and a console package
  - Floating point, command line, machine code inserts, etc.

It also has an Ada-specific RAD tool and a package browser.

I haven't had a chance to try the other commercial compilers but I know 
that RR has an Ada 95 compiler with a set of hierarchical Windows 
bindings.  You should realize that the Alsys compiler does not include 
tasking or a way to make DLLs (from what I have heard). 
I rarely come across sales brochures for commercial Windows Ada compilers,
but this list should track pretty closely to what's available:

              Windows 3.1         Windows NT        Win 95    OS/2 for Win3.1
              ------------------------------------------------------------
Rational      Meridian OpenAda    VADS
Thomson       ActivAda            yes                         yes (?) 
RR            yes                 Ada 95 version
AETECH        ?
GNAT          (unlikely)          ftp.cs.yale.edu   yes       cs.nyu.edu

Actually, as of now, I'm not sure who sells the Meridian Windows compiler 
anymore, it could be Rational or D.C.Heath.

Since I still use the Meridian for my commercial applications, I 
would appreciate any details on why you didn't like it.
Eventually I will port to the Windows 3.1 successors with Ada 95; but I 
can't help but laugh at Microsoft's absurd Win 95 certification process. 
I will either market with a forged Win 95 logo, or, better yet, 
use the Ada 95 globe logo, "The language for a complex world".

Hope this helps.
Paul Pukite

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