Re: DEC Ada and packages

["Zane H. Healy" <healyzh@shell1.aracnet.com>]

Charlie McCutcheon <charlie.mccutcheon@nospamcompaq.com> wrote:
> You'd probably prefer a tutorial - this is instead a reference manual.
> Note if you look for a better tutorial manual that DEC/Compaq Ada
> is Ada 83, not Ada 95 (95 is the latest Ada language standard - you'd see
> many new featues which aren't in Compaq Ada).

In spite of understanding the Ada 83/Ada 95 issue, I'm using a combination of 
an excellent web tutorial for Ada 95 that I found accidentally on the web
when looking for a simple example program to do a test compile.
http://www.cs.nyu.edu/courses/fall98/G22.2130-001/adaintro.html  The biggest
problem with it, is that it uses GNAT, not that it's for Ada 95.  It's
pretty basic and I double check against a Ada 83 book to make sure I'm not
trying to do something I can't.  So far it appears to work just fine with
either Ada 83 or Ada 95.

I'm also using "Software Engineering With Ada" by Grady Booch, and have
copies of "Understanding Ada A Software Engineering Approach", and
"Programming in Ada".

> Note that Compaq Ada compiles programs in files into compilaiton units in the
> program library.  This is terminology, but the files where you write the code
> aren't as significant as the compilation unit.  You can write code for
> procedures
> X, Y, Z and put them in file A.TXT and compile them.  We suggest putting them
> in their own files, such as X.ADA, Y.ADA, Z.ADA, but you don't have to.

> Other compilers, such as GNAT Pro require specific naming conventions
> of files depending on the compilation units within (ie procedure X must be
> in file X.ADB, ....).

Ah, OK!  I've been searching for some kind of meaning in the names used with
Compaq Ada.

> Sorry for the lecture, but you appear to be new to Ada...  Been a long time
> since I've explained any of this...  8-)

No problem, it's much appreciated, and you've included some very helpful
information that I didn't seem to find in the manuals I was looking at.

You guessed it, I'm new to Ada.  Just don't ask why I'm using Compaq Ada
instead of GNAT, I suspect there isn't a good reason. :^)  Especially as I've 
a copy of the public GNAT for OpenVMS that I've got but haven't installed, 
and as a Hobbyist I can use whatever I want, on whatever platform I want (I 
just happen to prefer OpenVMS).

			Zane