All About ActivAda for Windows

All About ActivAda for Windows

[Steve Sivulka]

                                                                 
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ACTIVADA FOR WINDOWS
by ALSYS


ActivAda for Windows is a professional Ada Integrated Development 
Environment (IDE) delivering the combined power of 32-bit architecture, 
the Windows operating system and Ada in one comprehensive product. 

ActivAda's robust functionality assures reliable, high quality code with 
dramatically reduced development time.  ActivAda runs on any 386, 486 or 
Pentium system under the operating systems of Windows 3.1 and DOS 5.0 or 
later.  Its optimized compiler generates fast, efficient code for DOS, 
Windows and Windows NT.  A suite of productivity-enhancing development 
tools includes a powerful GUI builder for fast and easy development of 
Windows applications in Ada.



PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS


High-Quality Code

Compact executable code is produced with optimal inlining of 
subprograms, removal of redundant checks, common subexpressions and 
unused subprograms, and inlining of hardware floating point 
instructions.  User-controlled code optimization includes a high-level 
phase which removes constraint checks and detects execution errors at 
compile time, and a low-level phase which eliminates common 
subexpressions and helps the code generator to improve register use.

32-bit Operation

The ActivAda compiler generates either 32-bit DOS-based applications or 
32-bit Windows-based applications.  Programs can accommodate data 
objects much larger than the 16-bit size limit of 64KB.  ActivAda uses 
the PharLap TNT DOS extender for DOS-based applications and Microsoft 
Win32s for Windows-based applications.

Win32s Support

ActivAda for Windows supports the Win32s API, allowing applications 
developed under the Windows operating system to run under both Windows 
and Windows NT.

Interface to Other Languages

Interface is provided to the 32-bit PharLap or Microsoft Assembler and 
Metaware High-C for DOS-based applications as well as to Microsoft 
Visual C++, 32-bit edition for Windows-based applications

Clear Diagnostic Messages

A powerful diagnostic system indicates error sources and references the 
relevant sections of the Ada Language Reference Manual.  A Point-and-
click on the listed error opens a source file there the error occurred.  
The compiler suggests corrective actions for many errors, and provides 
details about the program objects involved.



ACTIVADA DEVELOPMENT TOOLS


Windows-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

Alsys' popular AdaWorld has been upgraded with a Windows-based IDE built 
around a powerful Ada-sensitive editor.  Support is provided for the 
entire edit-compile-bind-link-run-debug development cycle.  Users may 
define various projects, and configure different compiler and binder 
options associated with each project.  A new Graphical User Interface 
(GUI) gives full point-and-click access to all ActivAda development 
tools.  The highly intuitive AdaWorld Command Line User Interface is 
also available under DOS.

Win32s Ada Libraries

Extensive pre-compiled Win32s API Ada libraries are included with 
ActivAda.  With over a thousand Windows functions, these libraries let 
ActivAda programmers quickly tap the full power of the Win32s API.

AdaXref

AdaXref generates a full cross-reference of the declaration and use of 
Ada entities throughout an application.

AdaReformat

AdaReformat gives source code a common look, and is easily customizable 
to meet most application building standards.

Ada Make

Ada Make determines the compilation dependencies of Ada units and 
libraries, and generates commands for compiling or recompiling a set of 
units.

Ada Verify

Ada Verify performs fast and easy Ada syntax checks.

AdaCount

AdaCount provides statistics regarding program size.

AdaTune

AdaTune analyzes performance and coverage for DOS-based applications.

AdaProbe Debugger

AdaProbe provides comprehensive debugging services for Ada applications 
running under the DOS operating system, taking into account the dynamic 
and static characteristics of the Ada language.  Its fundamental 
functionality, including break points, single stepping, and halting when 
exceptions are raised, provides the user with full control over program 
execution.

CodeView Debugger

The Microsoft Win32s CodeView debugger included with ActivAda provides 
efficient debugging of Win32s applications.  A single debugger may be 
used to debug multi-language applications.

GUI Builder

ActivAda's GUI Builder lets users design any Windows application 
visually.  With the ease of drag-and-drop functionality, GUI Builder 
automatically generates Windows application source code.  Additional 
user-defined code for different Window's events may be attached to each 
GUI Builder object simply by double clicking on the object and typing 
the code into GUI Builder's code editor.  The generated source code is a 
complete Windows application ready to be compiled, linked and ran.  
ActivAda's GUI Builder dramatically shortens the development time of 
Windows-based applications in Ada while increasing the maintainability 
of the user interface.  

Family-Library-Unit (FLU) Manager

This unique feature of ActivAda allows management of multiple libraries 
providing easy development and maintenance of large applications.



HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS


386, 486 or Pentium-based system with 8MB of RAM
50MB hard disk space required for ActivAda
DOS 5.0 or higher
Windows 3.1 or higher



ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER


ALSYS

10251 Vista Sorrento Pkwy, Suite 300
San Diego, California  92121

(619) 457-2700

** ActivAda for Windows NT is days away from release **

Re: All About ActivAda for Windows

[David Weller]

In article <3h1nc2$huk@gnat.cs.nyu.edu>, Robert Dewar <dewar@cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
>Mike, I think your request is out of bounds. Posting pricing information
>is CLEARLY overstepping the mark if you ask me, 

Well, keep in mind the market Alsys is trying to reach with ActivAda:
The PC user.  They actually got a nice review in PC Week a few weeks
ago.  The key point is that is is quite fair to expect a posting of
something like:
	Retail cost for a single license is $xxx, volume and
	educational discounts are available.
The dollar amount helps establish the scope of the discount and
informs the consumer about the general price range of the product.
For instance, if the "Get it from your local computer store" price is
in the $xxxx range, the average consumer will generally be turned off
(and, naturally, you'll never see an Alsys Ada product on a computer
store shelf).  It is fair to expect this information, and it is also
reasonable to determine the general cost.  Not posting prices is a
pretty typical scheme from Ada vendors, not the rest of the PC
software community.  If they want to stick to that, fine, that's
their choice.  I, as a consumer, would like Alsys to step up to
saying what the general price is.  I think Alsys has a fine product,
but in order for it to survive (IMHO), it needs to be competetive
with other consumer programming environments (that does NOT mean it
should be priced the same, but that the consumer needs to feel the
extra cost is compensated by the perceived value).

In conclusion, I disagree with you.  :-)

and I thought it quite
>appropriate that in their announcement they did not do so. I agree that
>the big logo etc gave the post the air of a commercial which is perhaps
>unfortunate. I think we all agre that basic factual announcements of
>product availability are appropriate here.
>


-- 
      Frustrated with C, C++, Pascal, Fortran?  Ada95 _might_ be for you!
	  For all sorts of interesting Ada95 tidbits, run the command:
"finger dweller@starbase.neosoft.com | more" (or e-mail with "finger" as subj.)
	

Re: All About ActivAda for Windows

[Michael Feldman]

In article <3h1nc2$huk@gnat.cs.nyu.edu>, Robert Dewar <dewar@cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
>Mike, I think your request is out of bounds. Posting pricing information
>is CLEARLY overstepping the mark if you ask me, and I thought it quite
>appropriate that in their announcement they did not do so. I agree that
>the big logo etc gave the post the air of a commercial which is perhaps
>unfortunate. I think we all agre that basic factual announcements of
>product availability are appropriate here.

Ordinarily I'd have said nothing. But the post did really have the look and 
feel of an ad, so I thought I'd request that if it's going to be an ad,
it should _really_ be an ad.

That post pushed a small hot button. I have run into Ada companies who,
when I called and asked for pricing information on compilers, responded
"that information is proprietary; we'll have our sales rep call on you 
and give you a proposal." Admittedly this has not happened recently.
But that was certainly the first time a company refused to tell me the
prices of its products. I did not call blind; I identified myself and
my affiliation quite clearly. Having investigated a fair number of
software packages for my university, I was shocked that a software house
would treat its pricing as proprietary information. 

I agree that pricing information is probably out of place in a group like 
this.

I should point out that in places like comp.edu, it is not uncommon to
see capsule reviews of new books, and occasionally software packages,
with pricing info attached. These things are, of course, generally not
ads but written by third parties.

Mike Feldman

Re: All About ActivAda for Windows

[John Dusek]

*******************************************************

When will this product be available and how much will it cost?

*******************************************************

Re: All About ActivAda for Windows

[Michael Hirasuna]

In article <3ham7m$nko@maverick.tad.eds.com>, PLSBSS01.jdusek@eds.com wrote:
> 
> When will this product be available and how much will it cost?

I got my copy (ver. 5.1.3) about four months ago. I paid about $1000.

The project I hoped to used it on was cancelled, so I don't have too much
experience with it. But there are at least two potential "got-yas"

1) The documentation seems to say that a floating-point coprocessor is
absolutely necessary for execution if any floating point operations are
used.

2) The way the libraries are configured, it seems that Ada tasking is not
possible when using WIN32 calls.

I sent E-mail to Alsys to get a clarification of these concerns, but I got
no straight answers. Maybe someone from Alsys can answer these concern by
replying to this thread.

-- 
Michael Hirasuna    |  hirasuna@acm.org

Re: All About ActivAda for Windows

[Ed Falis]

In <hirasuna-0802951859580001@hirasuna.clark.net> hirasuna@acm.org (Michael Hirasuna) writes:

>In article <3ham7m$nko@maverick.tad.eds.com>, PLSBSS01.jdusek@eds.com wrote:
>> 
>> When will this product be available and how much will it cost?

>I got my copy (ver. 5.1.3) about four months ago. I paid about $1000.

>The project I hoped to used it on was cancelled, so I don't have too much
>experience with it. But there are at least two potential "got-yas"

>1) The documentation seems to say that a floating-point coprocessor is
>absolutely necessary for execution if any floating point operations are
>used.

>2) The way the libraries are configured, it seems that Ada tasking is not
>possible when using WIN32 calls.

>I sent E-mail to Alsys to get a clarification of these concerns, but I got
>no straight answers. Maybe someone from Alsys can answer these concern by
>replying to this thread.

>-- 
>Michael Hirasuna    |  hirasuna@acm.org


Here's as straight a poop as I can manage:

Price is $995, plus $295 first year maintenance (optional).  Substantial 
discounts are available to students and educational institutions.

1.  WRT floating point support, there are two cases: a) for appplications 
generated to execute under DOS, we supply our own FP emulation package for
execution of the application on a machine w/o hardware fp.  This emulation
package has some additional "nice" features like coprocessor stack overflow
handling through extension of the stack in memory.  This is quite useful for
complex expressions.  b) for applications generated to execute under the 
Win32S API (ie Windows 3.1), the WIN32s fp emulation supplied by Microsoft is
used.  As far as we have been able to determine, it does not support the
coprocessor stack extension, and there may be other incompatibilities, where
the emulation sw does not behave in the same way as the coprocessor, in areas
that are important to the Ada runtime's expectation for handling coprocessor-
generated exceptions.  The Release Notes for our product warn about this
potential incompatibility, and recommend use of a coprocessor (or 486 with
integrated FP support).  So, the bottom line is you can execute these
applications w/o fp hardware, but caveat emptor.

2. Tasking is not supported for this product, because it's very difficult to
implement delays and preemptive scheduling under Windows 3.1, given its lack of
both interrupts and threads.  Discussions with users led us to the conclusion
that lack of tasking was not serious for the kinds of applications they were
developing under Windows 3.1.  We also offer a Windows-NT product, which does
support tasking (mapped to OS threads) for NT.  In the latter case, this 
becomes important for the development of server type applications.


Hope this answers your concerns.

- Ed Falis, Thomson SW Products (nee Alsys)