Kylix (delphi for Linux), a good Ada alternative for GUI application on Linux.

Kylix (delphi for Linux), a good Ada alternative for GUI application on Linux.

[mark]

I've downloaded Kylix open edition from Borland web site and have
been playing with it for 2 days. http://www.borland.com/kylix/openedition/

I found Kylix (delphi for linux) to be very similar to Ada. It has units
(like ada packages), threads, very similar syntax (after all, Delphi is
based on Pascal), strong typing. fully OO langauge, All objects in kylix 
are rooted in one base object (like Java). Support single inhertance 
(like Ada and Java).

But it is very easy to develop GUI and database applications with it, very
good RAD env too. They have done a good job with the libC unit that allows
direct call to all the C library functions.

I think Kylix could be a good alternative to Ada on Linux. As they are so 
close to each others.  At least if Ada can not be used by millions of
programmers, I think Kylix has a good chance of doing so.


 

Re: Kylix (delphi for Linux), a good Ada alternative for GUI application on Linux.

[Gary Lisyansky]

Well, I'd agree that Kylix (in fact, Linux version of Borland Object Pascal)
is a *very nice* development tool. Much better than C++:-).

"mark@nospam" <mark_member@newsguy.com> wrote in message
news:9k1r4j02f9q@drn.newsguy.com...
> I found Kylix (delphi for linux) to be very similar to Ada. It has units
> (like ada packages), threads, very similar syntax (after all, Delphi is
> based on Pascal), strong typing. fully OO langauge, All objects in kylix
> are rooted in one base object (like Java). Support single inhertance
> (like Ada and Java).

Units still aren't like Ada packages. They can't make a hierarchy of child
units, they don't have separate interface and implementation parts. There's
also no notion of genericity (though metaclasses are supported).

>
> But it is very easy to develop GUI and database applications with it, very
> good RAD env too. They have done a good job with the libC unit that allows
> direct call to all the C library functions.

I agree. The tool allows for both visual and traditional GUI development,
there are *lots* of good widgets.

>
> I think Kylix could be a good alternative to Ada on Linux. As they are so
> close to each others.  At least if Ada can not be used by millions of
> programmers, I think Kylix has a good chance of doing so.
>
Not an alternative, IMHO. But, for many programmers it can be a first step
into the realm of Algol- based languages, and maybe to Ada.

Gary

Re: Kylix (delphi for Linux), a good Ada alternative for GUI application on Linux.

[Florian Weimer]

mark@nospam <mark_member@newsguy.com> writes:

> I found Kylix (delphi for linux) to be very similar to Ada. It has units
> (like ada packages),

It completely ignores all elaboration issues, IIRC.  Handling them is
up to the programmer, and there isn't any help from the language
implementation.

> threads,

Well, I haven't seen this recently.  I worked once with a rather old
version of the run-time system on Windows, and the library wasn't safe
for threading in some places.

> very similar syntax (after all, Delphi is based on Pascal),

Na, the explicit begin/end is quite a difference (and can easily lead
to errors).

> strong typing.

AFAIK the type system of Object Pascal is based on structural
equivalence (except for classes), so it's not as strongly typed as it
could be.

> fully OO langauge, All objects in kylix are rooted in one base
> object (like Java).

I don't think this is true.

> Support single inhertance (like Ada and Java).

There are some obscure things like properties and stuff.

> But it is very easy to develop GUI and database applications with it, very
> good RAD env too. They have done a good job with the libC unit that allows
> direct call to all the C library functions.
> 
> I think Kylix could be a good alternative to Ada on Linux.

Hmm, I don't use Ada as a RAD tool, quite the contrary. ;-)

Re: Kylix (delphi for Linux), a good Ada alternative for GUI application on Linux.

[Barry Kelly]

In article <87lml6b45w.fsf@deneb.enyo.de>
	Florian Weimer <fw@deneb.enyo.de> wrote:

> > strong typing.
> 
> AFAIK the type system of Object Pascal is based on structural
> equivalence (except for classes), so it's not as strongly typed as it
> could be.

Object Pascal typing is based on name equivalence; however, untyped
pointers (Pointer) are compatible with objects (TObject &
descendants), which is pretty miserable.

> > fully OO langauge, All objects in kylix are rooted in one base
> > object (like Java).
> 
> I don't think this is true.

It is true for objects. All the primitives from Pascal are there too
though, and they aren't descendant from TObject (but they aren't
"objects" either).

> > Support single inhertance (like Ada and Java).
> 
> There are some obscure things like properties and stuff.

"Obscure"? That's a pejorative term. Perhaps you'd like to expand.

> > But it is very easy to develop GUI and database applications with it, very
> > good RAD env too. They have done a good job with the libC unit that allows
> > direct call to all the C library functions.
> > 
> > I think Kylix could be a good alternative to Ada on Linux.
> 
> Hmm, I don't use Ada as a RAD tool, quite the contrary. ;-)

RAD is very good for GUIs; that's about it.

-- Barry

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