Re: GNAT for MS Visual Studio

["Steve" <nospam_steved94@comcast.net>]

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"Jean-Pierre Rosen" <rosen@adalog.fr> wrote in message 
news:rkr7df.7mp.ln@hunter.axlog.fr...
> Steve a �crit :
>> When creating a form in Visual Studio .NET, you drag and drop components 
>> from a tools window onto a form.  Visual Studo generates code in an 
>> InitializeComponent method that is called when a form is created.  You 
>> set up properties and events for the form by selecting the item on the 
>> form and changing values in a property editor.
>>
>> This kind of interaction with building GUI applications is nothing new. 
>> It's similar to the way things have worked with Visual Basic and Delphi 
>> for a long time.  Sadly Ada is lacking in this area.
>>
> What you describe is exactly what you get with GtkAda/Glade. Ada lacks 
> nothing when you know where to look for...
>

It is "almost" what you get with GtkAda/Glade.  Every time I have attempted 
the combination it has ended in frustration.

I am working in a Windows environment.

Every time I have attempted to use Glade to set up a GUI it starts out 
looking really impressive... better than some of the other GUI IDE's.

But then I find that the tool that is supposed to allow me to make changes 
to the GUI after the initial setup, doesn't work on Windows.  Or I start 
setting up windows, things start looking good, and then Glade crashes losing 
all of my edits.

When I first tried using Glade on Windows the file dialogs were far from 
standard for windows and very frustrating to work with.

I like Ada.  I really do.  But I would not recommend using Ada for a 
developing a GUI to anyone.
I would go so far as to recommend creating a separate "front end" in C# on 
.NET and a "back end" in Ada.  But that raises the issue of justifying using 
two separate programming languages for one applicaiton.

Maybe someday some eager beaver will create a visual studio package that 
generates Ada gui code for Visual Studio .NET.  That would (I believe) put 
Ada on an equal (or superior) footing with other programming languages for 
developing user interfaces.

Regards,
Steve
(The Duck)


> -- 
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>            J-P. Rosen (rosen@adalog.fr)
> Visit Adalog's web site at http://www.adalog.fr