Re: Is there any ADA for Mac ?

[hirasuna@acm.org (Michael Hirasuna)]

In article <95030.195803MZUNDO@ESOC.BITNET>, <MZUNDO@ESOC.BITNET> wrote:

> I'm currently working in ADA on a Vax VMS system, and I'd like to be
> able to do some work at home on a Powerbook 520c Mac.

The only Machintosh Ada compiler I am aware of is Meridian's (which
requires MPW).

I have used MPW-Meridian at home for work I had with VAX Ada. There were
some problems:

1) The Mac's 31 character file name limit is not enough, especially for
subunits which tend to have long file names in VAX Ada.

2) I could not find a way to change the Meridian Ada System package which
did not match the VAX Ada System package. Thus was particularly bad for
rep specs.

3) The Meridian Ada compiler was not very good. It gave poor error
messages and sometime passed incorrect Ada, which VAX Ada later caught.

4) I could not find a way to make the Meridian Ada compiler just do a
syntax check, I had to request full compiles which took longer. (If anyone
knows how to do this, please let me know)

There was also an Ada language sensitive editor, which was packaged with
Meridian. It was okay for small programs, but did not work for the program
which I would consider to be of practical size.

I have given up on Meridian Ada. For syntax checking at home, I now use
GNAT on an OS2 system. But I still use my Mac for almost everything else.