From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,FREEMAIL_FROM
	autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 103376,60e2922351e0e780
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-11-22 09:10:05 PST
Path: 
 archiver1.google.com!news2.google.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!logbridge.uoregon.edu!msunews!not-for-mail
From: "Chad R. Meiners" <crmeiners@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Re-Marketing Ada (was "With and use")
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2003 12:06:41 -0500
Organization: Michigan State University
Message-ID: <bpo55a$173a$1@msunews.cl.msu.edu>
References: 
 <slrnbqug4j.ss.randhol+valid_for_reply_from_news@kiuk0156.chembio.ntnu.no>
   <boqr49$1hc6fm$1@ID-175126.news.uni-berlin.de>
 <ZuudnWONTe-cnyyiRVn-iQ@gbronline.com>
 <bor2ji$1h7730$1@ID-175126.news.uni-berlin.de> <3FB22125.1040807@noplace.com>
 <botbde$1hvqjj$1@ID-175126.news.uni-berlin.de> <3FB3751D.5090809@noplace.com>
 <JtPsb.8014$fB3.463946@news20.bellglobal.com>
 <bebbba07.0311161831.bce38a5@posting.google.com>
 <bp9dsl$2fau$1@msunews.cl.msu.edu> <3FB8B9BC.5040505@noplace.com>
 <bpbae3$18ko$1@msunews.cl.msu.edu> <3FBA1118.4060105@noplace.com>
 <bpdjun$apo$1@msunews.cl.msu.edu>
 <U4tub.9139$iT4.968781@news20.bellglobal.com>
 <0fxub.48425$bQ3.12107@nwrdny03.gnilink.net> <3FBB6527.4040702@noplace.com>
 <xKNub.11738$iT4.1349744@news20.bellglobal.com>
 <3FBCBA38.8040000@noplace.com>
 <067vb.13803$iT4.1718658@news20.bellglobal.com>
 <3FBE0ABA.4090801@noplace.com> <PPrvb.1623$NB4.26040@news20.bellglobal.com>
 <bplnpq$1vo1$1@msunews.cl.msu.edu> <3FBEE403.623B5387@nospam.cogeco.ca>
NNTP-Posting-Host: arctic.cse.msu.edu
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165
Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:2851
Date: 2003-11-22T12:06:41-05:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


"Warren Gay" <ve3wwg@cogeco.ca> wrote in message
news:3FBEE403.623B5387@nospam.cogeco.ca...
> OK, I think were on similar wavelengths here. So instead of using
> a hints file, specify what you hope to get out of the header file.
>
> Well, I suppose this works very well for the API functions, structures,
> types etc. One area where this falls down perhaps is for macro
> constants (imagine trying to specify all the error code constants
> from something like errno.h). But I suppose you could do the
> following:

You might be able to solve the problem with a spec prep tool.  The tools
searches through header files and tries to find names for the API (such as
macro names, typedef name, constant names) and generates a default
specification for it.  The tools could be improved by adding better search
filtering such as "constants that match reg exp X"

> Actually, the more I think about your idea, the more I like it. It has the
> additional advantage that you only expose yourself to areas that are
> important to your application. IOW, there is a much greater chance
> of success on all platforms, if you stick to only what you need,
> rather than everything and the kitchen sink. I like that idea.

Yep, I have written a few thin bindings and this was the manual technique I
used.

> Maybe you should be writing this tool? ;-)

I would actually like to work on it because it sounds funs.  Unfortunately,
I currently have very little time for creative efforts since my research and
thesis are occupying most of my creative time.  I would be interested seeing
how I could help we could form a working group for the tool.

-CRM