Re: "is ada dead?" A challenge for all of us?

["chris.danx" <chris.danx@ntlworld.com>]

"Al Christians" <achrist@easystreet.com> wrote in message
news:3B4C7EBE.716A8BE8@easystreet.com...
> "Marc A. Criley" wrote:
> >
> > "chris.danx" wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > What other features would you like to see?  What features would you not
like to
> > > see?
> >
> >
> > Providing those features in a Visual Studio like IDE would obviously
> > expand the potential developer base.
> >
>
> Start with Visual Studio and Delphi, list the features, and divide them
> into categories, eg  features to jettison, features to copy, features
> to do better than they do them.

My library consists of the following:

Visual Cafe 3 Pro, JBuilder 3 Pro&Standard, C++ Builder 4 Pro&Standard, Delphi 3
Pro, ObjectAda Special Edition and AdaGIDE.

I think the high Borland count may be detrimental since one Borland Ide is much
the same as another, just geared towards a different language.

> If you don't have some good number of
> items on the 'do better' list, then maybe you should look at Mjolnar's
> Beta IDE (free download available).  That has UML integrated into the
> IDE, and "supports a smooth transition from design diagrams to
> implementation code and vice versa. The design notation is a graphical
> syntax" (quote from their docs).  This would be roughly equivalent of
> attempting to integerate a graphical case tool like Rose or Together
> into the IDE.

Is that a feature developers would like? Integration of UML into the IDE?  I ask
since I have no experience with UML.  I did plan to gain familiarity with it and
did buy a book on it, but as yet haven't read it.


> Nonetheless, if you are looking to make Ada more popular, you
> will have to deal with beginners, and having an IDE that helps them
> write
> correct code and lets them fill in the blanks to write a program that
> compiles would be great.

I would like to cater for beginners, but I would also like to cater for the
seasoned professional.  Doing this properly will be difficult.  One possible
solution is that found in 1st Page 2000.  Basically, the IDE has 5 or 6
different modes.  Each mode is different in functionality.  The lowest level has
limited functionality while the highest level has the greatest functionality.
Another option would be to selectively disable features via an options section.
Just some random thoughts.


I'm off to think about how to reconfigure an IDE at runtime.  You know add tools
to menu's and add new wizards without recompiling (and re-installing) the ide.


Chris