Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Contractor Bert Nelson]

Does the Alsys Ada compiler have a package that will allow programs
to use command line arguments?

What is it called?

Does someone have an example using this Alsys package?


On one project the government is considering moving from the current
AT&T Unix box with a Verdix compiler to an HP9000 with an Alsys compiler.
Throughout the programs the Verdix package COMMAND_LINE has been used and
would have to be changed to use the Alsys package that handles command
line arguments or call another package that has the same functionality.

Bert Nelson
nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Ed Falis]

In <CyHwxD.82r@oodis01.hill.af.mil> nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil (Contractor Bert Nelson) writes:

>Does the Alsys Ada compiler have a package that will allow programs
>to use command line arguments?

>What is it called?

>Does someone have an example using this Alsys package?


>On one project the government is considering moving from the current
>AT&T Unix box with a Verdix compiler to an HP9000 with an Alsys compiler.
>Throughout the programs the Verdix package COMMAND_LINE has been used and
>would have to be changed to use the Alsys package that handles command
>line arguments or call another package that has the same functionality.

>Bert Nelson


The recommended (though not only) technique is to use the POSIX 1103.5 binding
supplied with the product (See Host Specific Manuals, Posix Ada User's Guide).

The routine you want to use is function Argument_List in package 
POSIX_Process_Environment.  This routine returns a POSIX_String_List.
Routines to manipulate the return type are provided in package POSIX.


A nice side effect is that you won't have to rewrite the command line 
handling when moving to the next Ada compiler, provided it supports the 
POSIX binding.

- Ed Falis, Alsys

>nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[David Kehs]

In <CyHwxD.82r@oodis01.hill.af.mil> nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil (Contractor Bert Nelson) writes:

>Does the Alsys Ada compiler have a package that will allow programs
>to use command line arguments?

>What is it called?

>Does someone have an example using this Alsys package?

Yes, there is a package called SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT, which has the declarations:

   function ARG_COUNT return POSITIVE;
   -- returns the number of arguments on the command line of the program,
   -- with the name of the program being invoked counting as one argument.

   function ARG_VALUE (INDEX : in NATURAL) return STRING;
   -- returns the INDEXth argument on the command line of the program
   -- If INDEX is larger than ARG_COUNT-1 then the function will raise
   -- the exception ILLEGAL_ARG_INDEX.
 
>On one project the government is considering moving from the current
>AT&T Unix box with a Verdix compiler to an HP9000 with an Alsys compiler.
>Throughout the programs the Verdix package COMMAND_LINE has been used and
>would have to be changed to use the Alsys package that handles command
>line arguments or call another package that has the same functionality.

You could also use the POSIX package POSIX_PROCESS_ENVIRONMENT to
achieve greater portability.

Dave Kehs
Alsys Inc

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Wuyts Jan]

In article <CyHwxD.82r@oodis01.hill.af.mil>, nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil (Contractor Bert Nelson) writes:
|> ... stuff deleted...

|> On one project the government is considering moving from the current
|> AT&T Unix box with a Verdix compiler to an HP9000 with an Alsys compiler.

From my experience I would suggest to allow plenty of time to do this.
Although theoretically simple it turns out to be a hell of a job due to
different assumptions made by the compiler manufacturer.


|> Throughout the programs the Verdix package COMMAND_LINE has been used and
|> would have to be changed to use the Alsys package that handles command
|> line arguments or call another package that has the same functionality.
|> 

This is just one of the simpler (and visible) problems.


Good luck, you will need it.

-- 
---
   Jan Wuyts (RS66),           Internet: wuytsj@rsd.bel.alcatel.be
                               Alcanet:  btmx.wuytsj
 Alcatel Bell Telephone
    Berkenrodelei 33           Phone:    (+32) 3/829.5479
     B-2660 Hoboken            Fax:      (+32) 3/829.5502
        Belgium.

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[jgs0132]

In article <CyHwxD.82r@oodis01.hill.af.mil>, nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil (Contractor Bert Nelson) writes:
>Does the Alsys Ada compiler have a package that will allow programs
>to use command line arguments?
>
>What is it called?
>
>Does someone have an example using this Alsys package?
>
>
>On one project the government is considering moving from the current
>AT&T Unix box with a Verdix compiler to an HP9000 with an Alsys compiler.
>Throughout the programs the Verdix package COMMAND_LINE has been used and
>would have to be changed to use the Alsys package that handles command
>line arguments or call another package that has the same functionality.
>
>Bert Nelson
>nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil

Bert,
	Yes, Alsys does provide such a package, SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT.  Off the
top of my head I can not recall the exact operation names, but it allows you to
access the argument count, the argument values, run system commands, get exit
codes, suspend Ada tasking and resueme it etc.

	My question to you is, do you have to go to Alsys?  Unless it is
necessary I would not recommend it over Verdix.  The compiler and library
operations are far from intuative, the debugger handles taksing worst then the
Verdix debugger, and there are several compiler bugs that I have not seen in
Verdix.  From my understanding, Verdix is also far more responsive to problems
with their stuff then Alsys.

	If you have no other choice then to use Alsys Ada, I guess there is
nothing you can do.  If you do have a choice, however, remember even divisions
of Alsys do not recommend their Ada compiler!

			Jon Sjoberg

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Paul Warren]

jgs0132@vaxg.isc.rit.edu wrote:

: 	If you have no other choice then to use Alsys Ada, I guess there is
: nothing you can do.  If you do have a choice, however, remember even divisions
: of Alsys do not recommend their Ada compiler!

I don't know where you picked this information from, but you are hopelessly
wrong.  We use our own products extensively.


Paul Warren
Alsys Ltd

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Ed Falis]

In <1994Nov10.031043.17304@ultb.isc.rit.edu> jgs0132@vaxg.isc.rit.edu writes:

>>nelsonb@oodis01.hill.af.mil

>Bert,
>	Yes, Alsys does provide such a package, SYSTEM_ENVIRONMENT.  Off the
>top of my head I can not recall the exact operation names, but it allows you to
>access the argument count, the argument values, run system commands, get exit
>codes, suspend Ada tasking and resueme it etc.

>	My question to you is, do you have to go to Alsys?  Unless it is
>necessary I would not recommend it over Verdix.  The compiler and library
>operations are far from intuative, the debugger handles taksing worst then the
>Verdix debugger, and there are several compiler bugs that I have not seen in
>Verdix.  From my understanding, Verdix is also far more responsive to problems
>with their stuff then Alsys.

>	If you have no other choice then to use Alsys Ada, I guess there is
>nothing you can do.  If you do have a choice, however, remember even divisions
>of Alsys do not recommend their Ada compiler!

>			Jon Sjoberg

Jon,

ALL the Ada development systems out there have problems of various kinds, in
various areas.  And while you're entitled to your opinions about the merits
of various systems in various contexts, this kind of posting is pure crap.

Get specific.  

And as far as your last statement, what kind of rope are you smoking, anyway?

- Ed Falis, Alsys

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[jgs0132]

	I seem to have gotten some Alsys representitives upset, so I will address 
each of thier concerns as numbered below.

Ed writes,

                      Concern 1, 
>ALL the Ada development systems out there have problems of various kinds, in
>various areas.  And while you're entitled to your opinions about the merits
>of various systems in various contexts, this kind of posting is pure crap.
>
>Get specific.  

                      Concern 2.

>And as far as your last statement, what kind of rope are you smoking, anyway?

While Paul writes,

                      Concern 3.
>I don't know where you picked this information from, but you are hopelessly
>wrong.  We use our own products extensively.

Concern 1:  As to a specific problem with the Alsys compiler, I will use an 
example of one that cost me over a month of testing on a project.  The manner 
in which Alsys implements a timed entry for SCO Unix in is incorrect.  If the 
timed entry call is not used (i.e. due to a gaurd clause) over the course of 
38 to 50 hours, it crashes the program with a CONSTRAINT_ERROR.  This is not
the only compiler bug on the Alsys Ada compiler I have found (their
implemenation of standard input and output files does not work either) but it
is certainly the most costly I have seen.  Yes all compilers have defects, but
the magnitude of the defects, the kinds of defects, and the compiler vendors
response to defects says something of the reliability and usability of the 
compiler.

Concern 2:  Resorting to insulting to me does not change the fact that one of
Alsys's own people DID say they did not use the Alsys Ada compiler.

Concern 3:  Paul, I never said that Alsys does not use its own products.  From
what I understand, for example, Teleuse (sp?) is quite a good GUI product
put out by Alsys, and I am certian that Alsys has other fine products that are 
thouroghly used internally and externally to Alsys.  I used a specific example 
(the Ada compiler) and meant no reference to any other products.  If one was 
perceived, I am sorry.

                      Jon.

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Paul Warren]

jgs0132@vaxa.isc.rit.edu wrote:
: 	I seem to have gotten some Alsys representitives upset, so I will address 
: each of thier concerns as numbered below.


: Concern 2:  Resorting to insulting to me does not change the fact that one of
: Alsys's own people DID say they did not use the Alsys Ada compiler.

I'm learning a lot from you - I was sure we had more than one Ada compiler.

However, I'm telling you that we do use our own compilers.

You'll always find some disenchanted employee in any company who'll
talk out of his wrong end.

: Concern 3:  Paul, I never said that Alsys does not use its own products.  From
: what I understand, for example, Teleuse (sp?) is quite a good GUI product
: put out by Alsys, and I am certian that Alsys has other fine products that are 
: thouroghly used internally and externally to Alsys.  I used a specific example 
: (the Ada compiler) and meant no reference to any other products.  If one was 
: perceived, I am sorry.

We use our own compilers extensively (we count our compilers as one of our
products).

At the end of the day, I agree with Ed's attitude: don't eat so many
beans in public, it's quite embarrassing.

Paul Warren
Alsys Ltd

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Robert Dewar]

Alsys Ada is of course programmed in Ada, hence they use an Ada compiler
all the time to compile the Ada compiler. I *suppose* it would be possible
to compile Alsys Ada using some other Ada compiler, but I certainly never
saw anyone try it, and I can certainly tell you that in my contacts with
Alsys, everyone was using the Alsys Ada compiler all the time!

Robert

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Michael Feldman]

In article <3ad2f0$gjj@gnat.cs.nyu.edu>, Robert Dewar <dewar@cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
>Alsys Ada is of course programmed in Ada, hence they use an Ada compiler
>all the time to compile the Ada compiler. I *suppose* it would be possible
>to compile Alsys Ada using some other Ada compiler, but I certainly never
>saw anyone try it, and I can certainly tell you that in my contacts with
>Alsys, everyone was using the Alsys Ada compiler all the time!
>
I find myself wondering if this whole thread is not based on a confusion.
Alsys and TeleSoft merged a while back, and threfore I would not be
surprised if Alsys-ers and TeleSoft-ers were not immediately familiar  
with the ins, outs, and idiosyncracies of each others' compilers.

It is not clear to me at this point just which compilers have survived
the merger; certainly some of TeleSoft's tools (TeleUse, etc.) are still
on the market, and there are other compilers "out there" that OEM the
TeleSoft front end.

Both TeleSoft and Alsys compilers are written in Ada. 

Hmmm - will they compile each other? How's that for a stress test? :-)

Mike Feldman
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael B. Feldman -  chair, SIGAda Education Working Group
Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The George Washington University -  Washington, DC 20052 USA
202-994-5919 (voice) - 202-994-0227 (fax) - mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Internet)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Ada on the World-Wide Web: http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Non illegitimi carborundum." (Don't let the bastards grind you down.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Pascal Martin @lone]

In <3afvpa$kjr@felix.seas.gwu.edu> mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Michael Feldman) writes:

>In article <3ad2f0$gjj@gnat.cs.nyu.edu>, Robert Dewar <dewar@cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
>>Alsys Ada is of course programmed in Ada, hence they use an Ada compiler
>>all the time to compile the Ada compiler. I *suppose* it would be possible
>>to compile Alsys Ada using some other Ada compiler, but I certainly never
>>saw anyone try it, and I can certainly tell you that in my contacts with
>>Alsys, everyone was using the Alsys Ada compiler all the time!
>>
>I find myself wondering if this whole thread is not based on a confusion.
>Alsys and TeleSoft merged a while back, and threfore I would not be
>surprised if Alsys-ers and TeleSoft-ers were not immediately familiar  
>with the ins, outs, and idiosyncracies of each others' compilers.

>[...]

>Both TeleSoft and Alsys compilers are written in Ada. 

Robert is wrong here, as the Alsys Ada compilers has been often compiled
with other competitor products (sometime just to compare.. unfairly, I
agree: we, in Alsys do not have our competitor sources :-).

We naturally found a few bugs in the competitor products (you can expect
that anyway !). In some occasions, Alsys has _reported_ these bugs to the
competitor vendor (could we be more fair ? :-), but only when we got
the competitor compiler for free.. (really free, no exchange--for bug list
exchange, there is a bridge in Berlin that is free now :-).

As a general rule, Alsys engineers conclued that:

- all tested Ada compilers which was claimed to have been written in Ada was
  able to compile the Alsys AdaWorld sources (sometime with portability
  problems, as you can expect).

- all tested compilers which was claimed to have been written in C was
  _unable_ to compile the Alsys AdaWorld sources (don't try it, no hope).

If these competitors wish to get the list of problems found by Alsys engineers,
they will really have to pay for that I think.. :-)

About 'Alsys people recommending another compiler' the trick is simple:

Alsys do not want to focuse ONLY on his Ada compiler. We have the TeleUse
product that is a very good GUI builder and IS able to generate Ada code.

In order to promote TeleUse product as a portable, environment independent
tool (and make more sales with people who bought another Ada compiler by
mistake..--Alsys never claimed 100 % of the Ada market), some adaptation
work has been performed so to make TeleUse able to work with competitor
product.

That why you can see an Alsys guy selling a product that works with a
competitor Ada compiler.

We, in Alsys, think we will make more money by promoting the use of
the Ada language than by trashing competitors products. Especially if
this is a (Tele)use of .. :-).

Pascal.

Re: Command line package for Alsys Ada Compiler

[Robert Dewar]

Of course I know that the Alsys compiler has been compiled on other compilers
from time to time to test compatibility, but I was talking about everyday
development, which is in practice done exclusively on Alsys compilers
themselves.

I mistrust the observation about Ada compilers written in Ada and those
written in C, it's too much of a simplification, and also more than one
of the major Ada compilers is written in neither of thee two languages.