From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.5-pre1 (2020-06-20) on ip-172-31-74-118.ec2.internal X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.5 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_05,TO_NO_BRKTS_PCNT autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.5-pre1 Date: 23 Feb 93 05:41:45 GMT From: taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil!spear@lll-winken.llnl.gov (Jon Spear) Subject: Re: Public Release of AdaSAGE (Re: Why is the DOE selling AdaSage?) Message-ID: List-Id: 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. |