From: CRDGW2::CRDGW2::MRGATE::"SMTP::WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL::%WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL:INFO-ADA-REQUEST" Date: 21-APR-1989 18:54:27 Description: INFO-ADA Digest V89 #112 Message-Id: <8904212230.AA09900@crdgw1.ge.com> Date: Fri, 21 Apr 89 01:30:22 MDT From: INFO-ADA-REQUEST@AJPO.SEI.CMU.EDU Reply-To: INFO-ADA-REQUEST@AJPO.SEI.CMU.EDU Subject: INFO-ADA Digest V89 #112 To: INFO-ADA@AJPO.SEI.CMU.EDU INFO-ADA Digest Fri, 21 Apr 89 Volume 89 : Issue 112 Today's Topics: >> RE: Lex and Yacc for Ada Ada a Real-Time Prog. Lang.? ada compilers cocomo and Ada derived types in package specs Utilities Compatible with Meridian ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 Apr 89 07:58:01 CDT From: linnig@skvax1.csc.ti.com (Mike Linnig) Subject: >> RE: Lex and Yacc for Ada Paul Bailes asks: > can you tell me whether there exist compiler-compilers (e.g. of the Yacc-Lex, or > even GAG kind) that use Ada (as opposed to e.g. C) as the host language? > [...] > If so (in either of the above cases), what is their availability? We've just received ALEX and AYACC from the Arcadia Project at UC Irvine. These tools generate Ada source (just as their namesakes generated C source). The input formats are similar. Nicest of all, they ship source code in Ada. They also ship an LALR(1) grammer for Ada (based on NYU-ADAED?). Sorry, no action routines though. We compiled the tools with DEC Ada (for VAXs). They seem to work as described (although we have not tested them thoroughly). When compiled with Verdix Ada (on Sun4's) ALEX uncovers a compiler bug. All this for $75 (actually, they ship three other tools too). Mike Linnig ps. Here is the original announcement... ---------------------------------------- From: kari@jasmin.ics.uci.EDU Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: alex/ayacc -- UCI Arcadia release Message-Id: <2608.584402247@jasmin.ics.uci.edu> Date: 8 Jul 88 21:57:27 GMT The Arcadia Project at University of California, Irvine announces the release of two software tools, alex and ayacc. Future releases of these and many other tools/packages are forthcoming. --------------------------- The UCI Arcadia Software Distribution Package 1.0 contains the following. alex: a lexical analyzer generating tool written in Ada and generating Ada code. Alex is modeled after the popular Unix tool, lex. ayacc : a parser generating tool written in Ada and generating Ada code. Ayacc is modeled after the popular Unix tool, yacc. Both tools run under Berkley Unix 4.2 or VAX VMS operating systems. Requests should be directed to UCI Computing Facility. (see below) For information about the tools themselves, please send email to alex-info@ics.uci.edu ayacc-info@ics.uci.edu or write to Arcadia Project Department of Information and Computer Science University of California Irvine, CA 92717 In addition, this package includes Arcturus, an Ada interpreter system developed at UCI under the Programming Environment Project headed by Professor Thomas Standish. The Arcturus software is included with this release because a substantial amount of interest in the ideas it pioneered still exists. This software is no longer supported, and is included here with that understanding. Two versions of the system are provided. Arcturus 1.7: includes a PDL/Rapid Prototyping subsystem. runs on VAX machines. Arcturus 3.4: runs on both VAXes and SUNs. includes most of Ada tasking, but not the PDL system. Both versions run under Berkley Unix 4.2. --------------------------- Interested parties will be asked to sign a license agreement, available from the UCI Computing Facility. The release package will include the above mentioned items on a 1/2" magnetic tape (6250bpi/TAR format) as well as user manuals and installation instructions. A fee of $75, payable to UC Regents, will be charged to cover costs and handling. (cartridge tapes and alternate bpi's can be arranged with the Computing Facility but may require an adjusted fee.) If you are interested in obtaining this package, please contact Computing Facility 360 Computer Science Attn: Arcadia Distribution University of California Irvine, CA 92717 (714) 856-5153 or send email to arcadia-software@ics.uci.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Apr 89 13:01:27 EST From: griest@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu Subject: Ada a Real-Time Prog. Lang.? Initial Posting (author believed to be pcb@aber-cs.UCP): >>And...wasn't Ada supposed to run on embedded systems where all tasks >>are lightweight, and there is no notion of ...? Response in article 1774 by Larry @ VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV: >No, that's propaganda or ignorance. Ada is not a special-purpose language >designed for real-time processing. It's an excellent general-purpose >programming language with some rudimentary real-time capability. See the >two special editions of Ada Letters on the Int'l Workshops on Real-Time Ada >Issues for more discussion. I am always amazed by the different ways in which people perceive the same information. I had been under the impression that Ada WAS designed specifically for real-time embedded applications. Maybe it was just a spoof to get in the door, and then take over all application areas! I can remember briefings by Larry Druffel, then director of the AJPO, stating that Ada was designed for real-time applications, but that it may be suitable for other applications as well. I can even remember conversations that Text_IO not be part of the language. Funny that the first sentence of the RM (foreword) refers to "real-time systems". The second and third sentences refer to the requirements effort and specifically to the STEELMAN requirements. And the first sentence of the STEELMAN document states: "The Department of Defense Common High Order Language program was established in 1975 with the goal of establishing a single high order computer programming language appropriate for DoD EMBEDDED COMPUTER SYSTEMS". [emphasis added] I'm curious how one interprets this to imply Ada was NOT designed for real-time processing. However, I can understand a debate as to whether or not it met the goal of supporting real-time embedded applications. Furthermore, I see no indication that the workshop documents referred to above imply anything contrary to this. In fact the preface to the first document states in reference to Ada's use for real time applications: "Ada was designed for embedded systems and so it seems to be very important that issues which are or appear to be problems get analyzed and solved as soon as possible rather than hidden under the carpet." Your implication that Ada was not designed for real-time applications may be harmful if it causes real-time programmers to give up hope for a decent high level language to use. I believe Ada is suitable for real- time, but is certainly not perfect. Hopefully, these imperfections can be addressed in Ada9X. griest@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu ------------------------------ Date: 19 Apr 89 21:30:58 GMT From: hpda!hpcuhb!hpcllla!hpclove!cas@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Chris A. Smith) Subject: ada compilers There is an existing Ada compiler that runs on the HP 9000 Series 800. Additionally, another is currently under development. For details, please contact me. Chris Smith Hewlett-Packard (408) 447-5731 hplabs!hpda!cas ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Apr 89 14:05:13 N From: de_rus@elcgl.epfl.ch Subject: cocomo and Ada Could somebody give me some information about the COnstructive COst MOdel and Ada. I know that B.Boehm is working about this subject but I don't know if he has already written something. Thanks a lot for a quick response. J.J. de Rus Swiss Federal Institute of Technology 1015 LAUSANNE Switzerland Electronic mail de_rus@elcgl.epfl.ch ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Apr 89 12:34:23 EST From: Alex Blakemore Subject: derived types in package specs Does anyone have an idea of the rationale behind RM 3.4(15) ? "If a derived type or private type is declared immediately within the visible part of a package, then, within this visible part, this type must not be used as the parent type of a derived type definition." ... see also 7.4.1.(4) This disallows things like type this is new integer; type that is new this; and what really hurt was type this is private; that that is new this; The draft copy of the Ada design rationale doesn't seem to discuss this. If this were legal, I think I could come up with a very nice use for derived types (something that has been rare but not unheard of in my experience) So there must have been a reason right ? Alex Blakemore Software Productivity Consortium blakemore@software.org ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 89 06:58:44 GMT From: peregrine!ccicpg!zardoz!dhw68k!toshio@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov (George Toshio Suematsu) Subject: Utilities Compatible with Meridian Hello, Has anyone heard of utilities that are compatible with Meridian Ada? I am interested in windowing software, mouse controls, and graphics. I understand that Meridian can call some C compatible libraries. Does anyone have experience with these types of utilities/libraries with Meridian Ada? If there is sufficient interest, I will sumamrize my findings. Thanks in advance, George Toshio -- George Toshio Suematsu | uucp: ...{spsd,zardoz,felix}!dhw68k!toshio Cypress, California, USA | InterNet: toshio@dhw68k.cts.com ------------------------------ End of INFO-ADA Digest ******************************