low level i/o package search

low level i/o package search

[CONDIC]

From: Marin David Condic, 407.796.8997, M/S 731-93
Subject: low level i/o package search
Original_To:  INTERNET
Original_cc:  CONDIC


I am posting this message for a friend of mine. If you know of
something that fits the description or have something you can
share, please e-mail to me at:

    CONDICMA@PWFL.COM

A "reply" to my outgoing address will invariably bounce so be
sure to use the above form. Thanks.

Pax,
Marin

Marin David Condic, Senior Computer Engineer    ATT:        407.796.8997
M/S 731-93                                      Technet:    796.8997
Pratt & Whitney, GESP                           Internet:   CONDICMA@PWFL.COM
P.O. Box 109600                                 Internet:   MDCONDIC@AOL.COM
West Palm Beach, FL 33410-9600
===============================================================================
    "'Shut up,' he explained."

        --  Ring Lardner
===============================================================================


  SEARCH FOR A PORTABLE LOW LEVEL I/O PACKAGE

  We frequently need to read/write binary data files on various platforms
and operating systems.  The form of these files is such that neither
sequential or direct io pkgs in Ada will do the job.  On VAX VMS we have
traditionally used direct_mixed_io or sequential_mixed_io to handle the
varying types of data to be read or written. mixed_io is VMS specific though.
  With Alsys 386 DOS Ada, there's a really attractive set of procedures in
package DOS. They will perform reads and writes and have formal parameters
that are simply the buffer address and number of bytes to read/write.
  It seems like a moderately simple job to write a package that has
functionality like the DOS package; maybe use direct_io to access
the disk and maintain buffer pointers, current buffer num in memory, etc.

  I would prefer not to invent this wheel again since there just has to be
at least one thoroughly checked out, portable, and efficient package out
there somewhere.