Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[Dufr]

Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?
As I understand it, the top priority for the beginner would be
choosing an environment conducive to learning. This requires of course
requires reduced complexity, and possibly well explained error
messages.
Which Ada compiler / environment is the best in this regard?
Thanks

Dufr

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[anon]

GNAT qwhich is free download
GPS for the IDE included in GNAT 


In <d022a029-f9a5-4960-b8a2-5a873e4ba233@l5g2000vbo.googlegroups.com>, Dufr <dufriz@gmail.com> writes:
>Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?
>As I understand it, the top priority for the beginner would be
>choosing an environment conducive to learning. This requires of course
>requires reduced complexity, and possibly well explained error
>messages.
>Which Ada compiler / environment is the best in this regard?
>Thanks
>
>Dufr

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[Ada novice]

On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 12:26:19 PM UTC+1, Dufr wrote:
> Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?
> 
On Windows, a good editor to start with is Adagide. It works fine with GNAT. After gaining some experience, you can switch to GPS.

YC

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[Patrick]

Hi Dufr

I only have 7 months with Ada(part time in the evenings) but the time I took to look at GPS wasn't helpful for me. I am betting that you can get a lot done with gnatmake and an editor you like already.

WOrking with pure Ada is pretty easy I think it's interfacing with C will be a bit tricky, I would like to help if I can.

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[Dmitry A. Kazakov]

On Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:22:39 -0700 (PDT), Patrick wrote:

> I only have 7 months with Ada(part time in the evenings) but the time I
> took to look at GPS wasn't helpful for me. I am betting that you can get a
> lot done with gnatmake and an editor you like already.

Give GPS second try. It is very good and more productive to use than
AdaGide (which is very nice too and was the first choice before GPS
matured).

One thing about GPS. Create and edit your project files manually you will
have no problems whatsoever.

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

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[Britt]

On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 11:42:32 AM UTC-4, Dmitry A. Kazakov wrote:

> 
> Give GPS second try. It is very good and more productive to use than
> AdaGide (which is very nice too and was the first choice before GPS 
> matured).
>

I agree. GPS 5.1.1 is very good and easy to use. There is no reason to start with AdaGIDE.

> 
> One thing about GPS. Create and edit your project files manually you will
> have no problems whatsoever.
> 

This is good advice as well. The GPS new project wizard can get you started but from that point on its better to maintain the GNAT Project (.gpr) file manually, especially if you use scenario variables.

.gpr files are easy to understand and very powerful (just read the users guide).   A brief (2 to 10 line) project file may be all you initially need. It would be a Good Thing if other Ada vendors would adopt a gpr-like project structure.

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[Peter C. Chapin]

On 2012-07-31 07:26, Dufr wrote:

> Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?
> As I understand it, the top priority for the beginner would be
> choosing an environment conducive to learning. This requires of course
> requires reduced complexity, and possibly well explained error
> messages.

I think GNAT gives very good error messages. In my opinion they are 
significantly above average compared to messages from other compilers 
I've used.

Peter

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[francois_fabien]

Le mardi 31 juillet 2012 13:26:19 UTC+2, Dufr a écrit :
> Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?
> 
GNAT/GPS (Adacore has a GPL version) is a nice and matured IDE to start with. At the start, you must set up project, but the wizard is very helpful.
To get acquainted with the langage you have plenty (500+) of code samples at Rosetta :
http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Category:Ada

When you will have bigger projects with many libraries, the remark of Dmitry is true: you must handle project files outside GPS.

Re: Which compiler / IDE do you recommend for a beginner?

[Nicholas Paul Collin Gloucester]

PowerAda from OC Systems.