Windows and Ada?

Windows and Ada?

[Cameron Roe]

I was going to try some windows programing in Ada and was
wondering what the best way to go about it was. i.e.

 - Are there libraries available.  Do I have to call the Windows
API?

 - Should I write the windows stuff in Visual Basic and then link
to a VBX library?

- other options?


Is there anyone with any experience out there who could point me
in the right direction?

I have a Meridian compiler for DOS(4.???), are there any compilers that
run under windows?

Thanks in advance.

Cam

Re: Windows and Ada?

[Theodore Dennison]

roe@acs.ucalgary.ca (Cameron Roe) wrote:
>I was going to try some windows programing in Ada and was
>wondering what the best way to go about it was. i.e.
>
>I have a Meridian compiler for DOS(4.???), are there any compilers that
>run under windows?
>

Sure, lots. The complete list of validated compilers is available
on the Ada web site ( http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/ ). RR, Verdix
(Rational), and TeleUSE spring to mind. Unfortunately, the Verdix
and TeleUSE compilers are kinda expensive, and the Verdix (Rational)
one only runs on Windows NT. 

Also, the RR and Verdix compilers require you to purchase a C++ compiler
(in order to get a Microsoft compatable linker. Thanks, Microsoft!)

T.E.D. (structured programming bigot)


T.E.D.

Re: Windows and Ada?

[Theodore Dennison]

Theodore Dennison <dennison@escmail.orl.mmc.com> wrote:
>on the Ada web site ( http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/ ). RR, Verdix
>(Rational), and TeleUSE spring to mind. Unfortunately, the Verdix
>and TeleUSE compilers are kinda expensive, and the Verdix (Rational)
>one only runs on Windows NT. 


Arrrg! That should be Alsys (Thompson), not TeleUSE.


TeleUSE is another file Alsys (Thompson) product. It is a Motif GUI 
builder which is capable of generating Ada source code.


Thanks to the kind net folk who pointed this out to me.

T.E.D. (structured programming mafioso)

Re: Windows and Ada?

[Steve Sivulka]

roe@acs.ucalgary.ca (Cameron Roe) wrote:
>
> I was going to try some windows programing in Ada and was
> wondering what the best way to go about it was. i.e.
> 
>  - Are there libraries available.  Do I have to call the Windows
> API?
> 
>  - Should I write the windows stuff in Visual Basic and then link
> to a VBX library?
> 
> - other options?
> 
> 
> Is there anyone with any experience out there who could point me
> in the right direction?
> 
> I have a Meridian compiler for DOS(4.???), are there any compilers that
> run under windows?
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Cam

Cam,

I work for Thomson Software Products (formerly Alsys).  So, of 
course, I would recommend using our product, "ActivAda for Windows"

Of all the products I've seen, I actually do think that our 
Ada/Windows development system is the best out there.  I use to work
for some other Ada companys, and can tell you first hand that
Thomson Software Products is a top-notch company.

ActivAda comes with a GUI Builder application that lets you visually
design your applications and attach code to objects.  GUI Builder
then generates Ada/Windows source code for you.  GUI Builder is
how a lot of our customers get started with Windows development in 
Ada.

The rest of my posting is "canned" text about ActivAda for Windows.

I hope this helps you, and good luck with whatever product you choose.


Steve Sivulka

-----------------------------


ActivAda for Windows

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. 

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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

For more information:

Thompson Software (formerly Alsys)
ActivAda Representative

Voice:  (617) 270-0030 x234
Fax:    (617) 270-6882
Email:  activada@thomsoft.com