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From: dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)
Subject: Re: ADA CORE TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES GNAT-TO-JAVA SYSTEM
Date: 1997/09/22
Message-ID: <dewar.874929276@merv>#1/1
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References: <dewar.873998738@merv> <34196E8E.1790@gsfc.nasa.gov>
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Organization: New York University
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-09-22T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


<<I don't agree.  There is an advantage in using a different format
than source code for distribution, even if parsing speed is ignored.
The advantage is that you can solve most of problem #1 of the two
you mention below.>>

I would be interested in why you think this? Is this based on experience
with slim binaries? I would guess not. In fact I doubt slim binaries have
been used on the kind of large projects where building from sources can
be an issue.

In fact building from sources works remarkably well. I am always impressed
when we pull off soe new GPL tool, type the configure command, and everything
works.

The problems I see in building from sources (e.g. which exact version of
what do you use for the build) would not be solved by slim binaries, since
they still have to be compiled, and indeed all the hard part of compilation
remains. 

So if anything the situation is worse. Now, we cannot simply use whatever
standard C compiler we have around to build a tool from scratch, but we
have to make sure we get the right binary version of the compiler to handle
the slim binary. Indeed this is what makes GNAT harder to build than GNU C.
You need a GNAT compiler to start with, and you have to make sure you get
all the right versions and pieces.