Re: Advice needed! Ada compilers for school project.

[Preben Randhol <randhol+abuse@pvv.org>]

On 24 Oct 2001 07:58:23 -0700, Ben wrote:
> I am taking a college Programming Languages course. Our semester
> project is to write a language manual on the language given to us.
> Mine is Ada.
> 
> We will be required to assign a lab to the class in the language
> assigned to us. So I will be assigning a lab in Ada. My professor has
> asked each of us to specify a compiler that we would like to have
> installed.
> 
> So, I shall ask those with experience: what Ada compiler would be best
> suited for students with no experience in Ada, easy to use or pick up,
> easy to write instructions for.

GNAT!

1. It is freely available (no cost), unless you want the supported
   version, but you don't need that.

2. It is widely used

3. Not limited to Windows also available on Linux and other OSes.

4. It is easy to install both on Windows and Linux

5. It can be used by the students on their machines without any license
   problems and also later if you can get some of your students interested
   in doing Ada stuff on their spare time.

6. It has extra functionality which makes life easier. E.g regex
   package, directory and file handling etc... which also are portable. I
   mean it will work if compiled with Gnat on both Windows and Linux.

Some Links:

 Main Ada site           :  http://www.adapower.com/

 ISO Reference Manual    :  http://www.adapower.com/rm95/
 ISO Rational Manual     :  http://www.adapower.com/rationale/
 Quality and Style Guide :  http://www.adaic.com/docs/95style/html/cover.html

 Online Ada 95 book      :  http://www.it.bton.ac.uk/staff/je/adacraft/
 Online Ada 95 book II   :  http://burks.bton.ac.uk/burks/language/ada/ada95.pdf
 Ada 95 book reviews     :  http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~mfeldman/ada95books.html

 GNU Ada Compiler(GNAT)  :  http://www.gnat.com/
 GNAT for Linux, Dos,
 NetBSD, OS/2m SCO       :  http://www.gnuada.org/
 GNAT for Windows        :  http://home.trouwweb.nl/Jerry/

 GTKAda ToolKit (GTK+)   :  http://libre.act-europe.fr/GtkAda/
 GNADE Project           :  http://gnade.sourceforge.net/

 BURKS                   :  http://burks.bton.ac.uk/burks/
 
Preben Randhol