Re: [GNAT] Importing a C/C++ library from within Ada?

[Rod Kay <rodkay@mullum.com.au>]

On Tue, 26 Apr 2005 07:52 pm, Alex R. Mosteo wrote:
> Rod Kay wrote:
> > On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 05:50 pm, Alex R. Mosteo wrote:
> >>>    The initial release will provide support for all of C and simple
> >>>inheritance in C++. Exceptions and multiple inheritance, will be catered
> >>>for in later versions.
> >>
> >>Will this module generate bindings for any compiler or gnat specific?
> >
> >     I'm using Gnat to test the module, but the bindings should work with
> > any Ada compiler. At least that is the goal.
>
> I thought that Ada95 doesn't provide standard means to interface to C++.
> Has this changed for Ada0Y? Am I wrong in my belief?
>

    I'm not sure that the Ada95 standard directly supports interfacing to C++, 
but, at the moment,  the SWIG Ada module simply 'wraps' C++ classes.

    Later versions will hopefully improve the generated bindings to conform 
more to the Ada style.

    The SWIG ada module will only support simple C++ inheritance in it first 
release. I'm hoping Ada0Y (Y => 5 ?) will aid full support of C++ multiple 
inheritance, possibly via Ada0Y's proposed multiple interface inheritance 
(although I've not looked into this too closely, as yet).

    Sorry if this is a little vague, but it's early days yet. GCC-4.0.0 has 
just come out (a godsend), with considerable support for the proposed Ada0Y 
enhancements. I'll use GCC-4.0.0 and (proposed) Ada0Y (5?) as the initial 
target for the bindings, although support for any Ada compiler/platform is 
planned.

    Here is a rough schedule, in response to an offlist query ...
    
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> I just would like to ask you when do you plan to finish that job?
> Approximately?
>

    I hope to add a simple version of the module to the SWIG cvs sometime next 
week. This should produce bindings for most C and 'simple' C++ librarys.

    I plan to work on the module steadily over the next month, to tidy up the 
code and improve the bindings. There is also a deal of work to be done for 
C++ bindings.

    I suppose a barely usable version might be ready in a weeks time, a usable 
version within 2-4 weeks, and a decent (full C/C++) version in 3 months.

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regards,

Rod.