PC Ada compiler wanted for University

PC Ada compiler wanted for University

[waikato.ac.nz!pdenize]

Last year I lectured a third year paper on Software Engineering.  As an
exercise language we targeted Ada.  Due to a desire to move away from the VAX
platform by our department, I was forced to choose and alternative language
which we already had resources for.  As the students all knew Modula-2, I
decided that they might benefit from using a language with few safety nets, so 
I
made them all program in C this year (BIG MISTAKE).

I would like to return to Ada and would like to hear about what others might
feel is an appropriate teaching compiler, considering cost, resources and user
interface.  We will have to target the PC's in 1994, so I am looking
specifically I am familiar with both VAX Ada and Alsys Ada and have found both
very good (but at $28,000 per copy for Alsys - its out of the question).  I
have an article for Open Ada at US$495 but I have been unable to contact them
yet.

Can anyone recommend any other reasonable Ada compilers with perhaps
Site/Tertiary Licences.


Paul Denize

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Paul Denize                                Internet: PDenize@Waikato.ac.nz
Department of Computer Science
University of Waikato                         phone: ++64 7 8562-889
Hamilton                                                          Ext 8743
NEW ZEALAND                                   fax  : ++64 7 8560-135
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Re: PC Ada compiler wanted for University

[Larry F. Johnson]

       [ Regarding Ada compiler ]

    I recently took a Data Structures class conducted in Ada.  The Meridian
compiler was made available to us at around 90.00 a copy.  It seemed quite adeq
uate to what we were doing.

                                                       Larry 

Re: PC Ada compiler wanted for University

[Doug Brown]

In article <1993Jun15.105120.17286@waikato.ac.nz> pdenize@waikato.ac.nz writes:

  <Stuff deleted>

>Can anyone recommend any other reasonable Ada compilers with perhaps
>Site/Tertiary Licences.


  We have just puchased the Alsys 386 v5.0.  I believe the regular price is 
$US 3000 a lisence.  With Academic discount, the price dropped to $US 170 
without documentation ($250 with documentation) a lisence.

 We have used version 4.3 of this compiler for over two years and have not 
had any problems with students.  Alsys's command line interface is outdated, 
but it is a robust compiler.  One other minor complaint, the compiler is 
able to detect several conditions that will cause programmes to abort, (such 
as " Some_Number : interger range 1..100 := 101; " , which students all seem 
to try at least once) appropriate warning messages are inserted in the list 
file, but there is no indication given that the warnings were added.

 Overall we have been happy with the performance of this compiler.

Doug Brown
cffs@fox.nstn.ns.ca

Re: PC Ada compiler wanted for University

[usenet.ufl.edu!darwin.sura.net!math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.]

 
 Paul,
 
>
>I would like to return to Ada and would like to hear about what others might
>feel is an appropriate teaching compiler, considering cost, resources and user
>interface.  We will have to target the PC's in 1994, so I am looking
>specifically I am familiar with both VAX Ada and Alsys Ada and have found both
>very good (but at $28,000 per copy for Alsys - its out of the question).  I
>have an article for Open Ada at US$495 but I have been unable to contact them
>yet.
>

I often complain about the price of Alsys Ada, however for teaching
on PC's you don't need the cross compiler do you? In the US a
cross compiler is US$25,000 plus a required first year
support contract for US$5000.  However, commercial prices of the DOS
based/DOS executable stuff is US$ 595, I think. Plus there is some
educational program available, called the LEAP program, that should
really help. 

If you can't find Alsys people willing to talk prices, I'll get
you the email address of the VP marketing, he should be able to
help.

Mark