RE: howto make system calls (newbie question)

["Beard, Frank" <beardf@spawar.navy.mil>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Samuel T. Harris [mailto:u61783@gsde.hou.us.ray.com]

> Of course, there are other "standards" which are not part
> of the Ada standard. For instance, the POSIX Ada binding
> has been invaluable to me in writing portable code which
> requires facilities from the operating system.

Most of the ones I would like included are found in the
POSIX Ada binding (file/record locking on files, move/rename
files, directory lists, environment variable handling, 
process IDs, thread IDs).  I would also like file access
control.

> Since this is standardized by IEEE, I feel any particular
> need to include it as an Ada LRM annex.

I think you are saying you "don't" feel any particular
need to include it as an Ada LRM annex.  If that is what
you are saying, then I disagree.  Even though I'm using
the POSIX binding, it is still too C-ish.  And when I ported
our application to MS Windows, I had to write my own 
POSIX Ada binding for the API's that I needed (this was
before Pascal Obry's binding came out).  I took the POSIX
Ada binding spec and wrote my own bodies for the ones I 
needed, and nulled the rest.  If that functionality,
or any functionality, is part of the standard, there is
no need to go out and find bindings, or write your own.
It would already be available, assuming it was supported.

I don't know what the legalities are, but why not take the
POSIX standard, use it as a model/guideline, and create a
more "pure" Ada annex out of it.

Frank