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From: jerry@jvdsys.nextjk.stuyts.nl (Jerry van Dijk)
Subject: Re: DOS GNAT or Win95/NT GNAT? (Ada 95)
Date: 1997/04/29
Message-ID: <862286093.24snx@jvdsys.nextjk.stuyts.nl>#1/1
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Distribution: world
References: <dewar.862178418@merv>
Organization: *JerryWare HQ*, Leiden, Holland
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-04-29T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


In article <dewar.862178418@merv> dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu writes:

>Jerry said

<about running either the DOS or NT version of GNAT on Win95>

Some notes on Roberts remarks...

><<3. The DOS versions underlying gcc port (DJGPP) is very well tested,
>   documented and supported. The Win95 version isn't documented in
>   practical terms.>>
>
>     The documentation for the Windows version is essentially the same
>     as the documentation for any other version of GNAT, and may be
>     obtained from the FTP site.

As I said: "The DOS versions underlying gcc port" which has nothing to
do with GNAT but with the maturity and documentation of DJGPP vs Cygnus Win32.

><<4. The DOS version gives you access to the underlying machine, the Win95
>   requires a special ($$$) SDK and writing you own bindings.>>
>
>     You do not require the SDK unless you are going to interface to
>     Win32 (the requirement here is not technical, it is a copyright
>     issue, the Win32 bindings themselves do not technically require
>     the SDK).

As I said: "The DOS version gives you access to the underlying machine",
which has nothing to do with Win32 but with the special API's needed
(like DirectX) for Win95/NT which are currently not supported.

><<Yes, if you manage to get the proper Win32 bindings, have an resource
>  compiler, and don't run into the infamous ld bug, you can use the GDI
>  from GNAT. Whether or not it is easy depends on your Win95 experience,
>  this is not Ada related.>>
>
>    The ld problem is finally fixed, and we hope to make a public release
>    of this fixed version in the near future. Meanwhile, a LOT of programs,
>    especially small programs do not run into this ld bug (for example 100%
>    of the ACVC tests run without encountering this problem).

But note I said: 1) proper Win32 binding
                 2) resource compiler
                 3) ld bug

(1) is hopefully solved now (ie all sites carry the proper version)
(2) is not part of the current public GNAT release
(3) will be solved in the next public release

Of course, to use GNAT for pure Win95 application development, a GUI
builder is also needed. Is anyone working on this ?

BTW GNAT/NT is now my standard Ada compiler, moving back to the DOS
version only when I need to access to machine itself.

--

-- Jerry van Dijk       | Leiden, Holland
-- Business Consultant  | Team Ada
-- Ordina Finance       | jdijk@acm.org