Re: Public Release of AdaSAGE (Re: Why is the DOE selling AdaSage?)

[taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil!spear@lll-winken.llnl.gov (Jon Spear)]

In article <1993Feb12.210553.19700@mlb.semi.harris.com> smccoy@dw3g.ess.harris.
com (Scott McCoy) writes:
>In article <1993Feb12.173406.8810@beaver.cs.washington.edu>,
>drupp@cs.washington.edu (Douglas Rupp) writes:
>|> There is
>|> no good reason for a system such as AdaSage to require a different
>|> version
>|> for every platform/vendor.
>
>It is more accurate to think of AdaSage as an application-development
>toolkit, rather than a set of libraries.  AdaSage includes Thor,
>which supports both screen and database accesses (and maybe reports
>-- but it's been awhile since I did work with AdaSage).
>
>So, I can see why they have different versions, depending on the
>platform.

I've gotten a little more info on AdaSAGE.  Here's a summary:
[Any typos are mine.]

What is it?  (From AdaSAGE Notes, Jan 1, 1993)

"AdaSAGE is an effective environment to develop software applications
primarily for the Management Information System (MIS), scientific, and
engineering domains.  This environment allows the user to build
applications through an interactive screen editor, called THOR.  Here,
options are presented to the applications developer based on reusable
modules in the AdaSAGE program library.  After all options are
selected for an application, the AdaSAGE environment builds the Ada
source code which can then be compiled to create the application.
Simple applications can be developed with limited knowledge of Ada or
software engineering.  Larger applications may require additional
programmers skilled in Ada snd software engineering.  A recent
application developed using AdaSAGE achieved 75% code reuse: 50% of
the application was built directly from the AdaSAGE program library;
25% of the application was imported form other reuse sources; only 25%
of the application was unique and requried new code development."

On what platforms is AdaSAGE available?

"Intel 8088, 8086, 80286, 80386, 80486 (Real and Protected Mode), AT&T
3B2, Sun SPARC, RS/6000 ...  Operating systems: MS-DOS, Unix, and
AIX."

Is AdaSAGE written in Ada?

"...In the Unix environment, AdaSAGE is written 100% in Ada.  In the
MS-DOS ... 5% of AdaSAGE is written in assembly ... Several of the
AdaSAGE utilities may be written in other languages (e.g., THOR is
written in Modula-2) ... The AdaSAGE system is comprised of over
300,000 lines of code representing over 250 person-years..."


I can't quite tell what AdaSAGE does from this high-level description,
but it sounds like it includes some basic relational database and
graphics functions (on some platforms) with an application generator
to use them.  But... it isn't a "code generator" it says. 


According to one paper (Draft of "AdaSAGE Evolution", 21 Jan 93),
"Distribution of the AdaSAGE source code will primarily be through the
Free Software Foundation as GNU AdaSAGE.  As such, GNU AdaSAGE is
free..."  But as of today, I can't find it at prep.ai.mit.edu or any
other FTP site (per an Archie search).  Coming soon to FTP near you...?

Floppy copies of the code for Alsys or Meridian are available if you
send the floppies.  It may be FTP-able from Asset, but you have to
fill out and mail/fax their account request form before you can look.

A support hotline is available (for a fee).  There's an Ada and
AdaSAGE BBS (804-444-7841 / DSN564-7841, 2400-16.8Kbps; HST/V.32bis).
And there are training video tapes as well as instructors available.

I'm still looking for more info, and will summarize if there is interest.

-Jon
-- 
| Jon L. Spear (spear@cs.nps.navy.mil) : With computers we can make        |
| Dept of Comp Sci, Code CS/Sj, x2830  : billions of misteaks each second. |