Newbie ... Starting Point?

Newbie ... Starting Point?

[Navid Azimi]

Hello,

    I was referred to use ADA (GtkAda...whatever the difference is) as my
language of choice for a certain product I was to develop in C++. Now I have
a very simple question, what gui compiler can I use to start practicing
coding little programs like Hello World and the like. (ie. MSVC for C++ is a
GUI, while Cygnus is DOS oriented) I'm looking for the MSVC equiv for Ada.

Many thanks,

- K

PS. C++ source code programs are .cpp, are Ada source code programs .adb ??

Re: Newbie ... Starting Point?

[Christophe]

Hello,

Ada source body : adb                (This is package body, the code of your
function/procedure should be here)
Ada source specification : ads      (This is package specification, the
header of your function/procedure here)

GtkAda is not a language, GTKAda is a GUI library for Ada. As you will see
in Ada, there isn't a good GUI builder, you have to wrtie your GUI in code
(like HTML before frontpage ;-).

Christophe.

Re: Newbie ... Starting Point?

[Pascal Obry]

"Christophe" <christophe.dubach@epfl.ch> writes:

> Hello,
> 
> Ada source body : adb                (This is package body, the code of your
> function/procedure should be here)
> Ada source specification : ads      (This is package specification, the
> header of your function/procedure here)

Note that .ads/.adb is pure convention. There is nothing in the standard about
filenames. For example with ObjectAda you can put many units into the same
file and name it whatever.ada if you like. In fact the extension can be
whatever please you. With GNAT you have options to tune the naming convention.

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: Newbie ... Starting Point?

[Jacob Sparre Andersen]

Christophe:

> GtkAda is not a language, GTKAda is a GUI library for Ada. As you will see
> in Ada, there isn't a good GUI builder, you have to wrtie your GUI in code

What is wrong with GLADE?

Jacob
-- 
"The universe isn't for the likes of me to understand. I
only work here."

Re: Newbie ... Starting Point?

[Jacob Sparre Andersen]

Navid:

>     I was referred to use ADA (GtkAda...whatever the difference is)

Ada (note capitalisation) is a programming language.
GtkAda is a GUI library.

> Now I have a very simple question, what gui compiler can I use to start practicing
> coding little programs like Hello World and the like.

Object Ada comes with a nice GUI (but only for Solaris and
Windows as far as I can remember).

If I am not mistaken, then GNU Ada comes with a GUI in the
Windows edition, but I haven't tried it.

I have not checked out if KDevelop supports Ada (using GNU
Ada as the compiler), but it might.

GLADE is a (stand-alone) GUI builder for GtkAda. It is quite
a nice tool.

Although it does not live up to your requirements, I would
suggest that you ask your friend who suggested that you try
GtkAda to help you install the following set of tools:

 * GNU Ada (compiler)
 * GtkAda (GUI library)
 * GLADE (GUI builder for GtkAda)
 * Emacs (editor - and many other things)
 * Ada mode for Emacs (integrates GNU Ada in Emacs)

> PS. C++ source code programs are .cpp, are Ada source code programs .adb ??

They can be. The conventions I have observed are: ".ada",
".a" and ".ads" and ".adb". If you use the GNU Ada compiler,
then specifications have the extension "ads" and
implementations have the extension "adb". GNU Ada comes with
a tool, gnatchop, which can help you follow the GNU Ada file
naming convention.

Jacob
-- 
"I just might be wrong."