Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[leandrohbatista]

Hi,

I have a simulation written in Ada95 and a visual scenario (IHM) built in visual C++. I'd like to integrate these two programs.

I was wondering to use MS COM, but it's no longer supported in Windows 7...

So, which middleware or inter process communication do you suggest or have already used in this kind of application?

thanks,

Leandro

Re: Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[leandrohbatista]

This could a good idea!
But porting the HMI do Ada it's not a choice yet. 

In fact, I'd like to setup a COM server in my Ada simulation and run the HMI in another PC for example using TCP/IP.

So, I'm looking for a middleware that could interface Ada and C++.

I started reading about DDS (data distribution service) and I found RTI DDS solution (http://www.rti.com/products/dds/index.html).

Before choosing a middleware, I'd like to hear from Ada comunity, what solutions are you using as inter process communications?

DDS, CORBA, PolyORB, DCOM, .NET, or are you developing your own solution (DYO)?

Re: Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[Per Sandberg]

It all depends on budget and data volumes and rates.
Some options may be:
SOAP and Web-services using AWS and some MSVC framework did that some 
years ago fairly straight forward.

0MQ as messaging infrastructure  and XML or JSON as data-carrier this is 
more bleeding edge, and I guess you will be surprised over the power in 
this stack.


Both technologies are fairly platform independent.

/Per


On 10/07/2011 08:00 PM, Paul Colin Gloster wrote:
> Leandro sent on October 7th, 2011:
> |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
> |"I have a simulation written in Ada95 and a visual scenario (IHM) built in visual C++. I'd like to integrate these two programs.|
> |                                                                                                                                |
> |I was wondering to use MS COM, but it's no longer supported in Windows 7...                                                     |
> |                                                                                                                                |
> |So, which middleware or inter process communication do you suggest or have already used in this kind of application?"           |
> |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
>
> How about porting the Crap Plus Plus to Ada?

Re: Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[Paul Colin Gloster]

Leandro sent on October 7th, 2011:
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|"I have a simulation written in Ada95 and a visual scenario (IHM) built in visual C++. I'd like to integrate these two programs.|
|                                                                                                                                |
|I was wondering to use MS COM, but it's no longer supported in Windows 7...                                                     |
|                                                                                                                                |
|So, which middleware or inter process communication do you suggest or have already used in this kind of application?"           |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

How about porting the Crap Plus Plus to Ada?

Re: Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[Per Sandberg]

As i Stated in the previous not it all depends

The solutions I know about are:
  WEB services with SOAP:
    Fairly straight forward and from the Ada side all is available in AWS.

  CORBA: with PolyORB and TAU elegant.
    But there seems to be some interoperability problems that may be 
related to sloppy coding in one of the applications.

  DDS: using RTIDDS lots of stuff to learn.
    Requires some budget and is pure PUB/SUB.

  0MQ/JSON: kind of DYO but elegant.

The above middleware choices are platform neutral and there may be more 
but these are the ones i got firs hand experience with.

/And as always in software: "it all depends on..."
/Per


On 10/07/2011 07:29 PM, leandrohbatista wrote:
> This could a good idea!
> But porting the HMI do Ada it's not a choice yet.
>
> In fact, I'd like to setup a COM server in my Ada simulation and run the HMI in another PC for example using TCP/IP.
>
> So, I'm looking for a middleware that could interface Ada and C++.
>
> I started reading about DDS (data distribution service) and I found RTI DDS solution (http://www.rti.com/products/dds/index.html).
>
> Before choosing a middleware, I'd like to hear from Ada comunity, what solutions are you using as inter process communications?
>
> DDS, CORBA, PolyORB, DCOM, .NET, or are you developing your own solution (DYO)?

Re: Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[Dmitry A. Kazakov]

On Fri, 7 Oct 2011 10:29:53 -0700 (PDT), leandrohbatista wrote:

> But porting the HMI do Ada it's not a choice yet. 

We (cbb software GmbH) have a commercial middleware for distributed process
automation and control. It has Ada, C++ and other interfaces.

http://www.cbb-software.com/technicalinformation/labmapmiddlewareautomation/index.html

> In fact, I'd like to setup a COM server in my Ada simulation and run the
> HMI in another PC for example using TCP/IP.

Yes, this is a common case. Usually our customers have HMI designed in
"strange ways", much worse than C++, e.g. VisualBasic, LabView, DiaDem etc.
We leave it be, replacing the data acquisition/exchange layer with our
middleware.
 
> So, I'm looking for a middleware that could interface Ada and C++.

You can do that, however its not very usual that the components communicate
directly with each other. More frequently you would have something like
model-view-controller, which is rather "vertical communication"
(application to hardware) than "horizontal" (application to application)
one. In effect applications do interact, but indirectly like in the MVC.

-- 
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

Re: Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[Maciej Sobczak]

On Oct 7, 6:22 pm, leandrohbatista <leandrohbati...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I have a simulation written in Ada95 and a visual scenario (IHM) built in visual C++. I'd like to integrate these two programs.

You might want to have a look at this:

http://www.inspirel.com/yami4/

YAMI4 is a messaging solution for distributed systems that natively
supports (among others) Ada and C++. Visual C++ is specifically one of
the target platforms.

The advantage of YAMI4 in your particular case might be that it is
very lightweight in terms of binary size and run-time footprint and
that it can be used with very little impact on your existing codebase.

--
Maciej Sobczak * http://www.msobczak.com * http://www.inspirel.com

Re: Middleware options for Ada and visual C++ integration

[Maciej Sobczak]

On Oct 7, 8:00 pm, Paul Colin Gloster <Colin_Paul_Glos...@ACM.org>
wrote:

> How about porting the Crap Plus Plus to Ada?

If the C++ part is already done and works, then the question is which
option is cheaper. Various middleware products were specifically
designed to act as integration platforms for this kind of tasks and
their use might be *much* cheaper then porting any significant piece
of software to another language. A proper consideration of costs and
effects is a fundamental part of any professional project.

Unless, of course, you are looking for some hobby ideas for the coming
winter evenings.

--
Maciej Sobczak * http://www.msobczak.com * http://www.inspirel.com