Usenet 1994 October

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Usenet 1994 October / usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicoctober1994disk1.iso / answers / comp-lang-ada / public-ada-library < prev next >

Wrap

Internet Message Format | 1994-10-06 | 72.8 KB

Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!paperboy.osf.org!think.com!hsdndev!wupost!wuarchive.wustl.edu!conn From: conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu (Richard Conn) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.vhdl,comp.answers,news.answers Subject: Public Ada Library FAQ Followup-To: poster Date: 3 Oct 1994 22:09:10 -0500 Organization: Washington University in Saint Louis, MO Lines: 1597 Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu Message-ID: <conn.781240091@wuarchive.wustl.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: wuarchive.wustl.edu Summary: Public Ada Library (PAL) Frequently Asked Questions Keywords: Public Ada Library, FAQ, PAL, Ada, VHDL, VHSIC, Integrated Circuits Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu comp.lang.ada:13208 comp.lang.vhdl:3148 comp.answers:7592 news.answers:26791 Archive-name: comp-lang-ada/public-ada-library Date of this FAQ: Sunday, October 2, 1994 Public Ada Library (PAL) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Posting Frequency: Monthly The Public Ada Library (PAL) is a library of Ada and VHDL software, courseware, and documentation on the wuarchive.wustl.edu host computer (VHDL stands for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language). This FAQ addresses the following questions: . What is New since the last PAL FAQ? . What is the Public Ada Library (PAL)? . In a Nutshell, What is in the PAL? . What is WUARCHIVE? . What Electronic Mailing Lists Support the Users of the PAL? . What Documentation is Available to Help the PAL User? . How is the PAL Like a Conventional Library? . Is the Software in the PAL Free of Defects? . What is Certifier_1 and What Certification is Done? . What are Review Codes? . How Do I Handle the Various Types of Files in the PAL? . How Can I Get to the Items in the PAL? . What Are Some Useful World Wide Web Home Pages? . How Do I Work with ZIP Files and MAC Binary Files in the PAL from my MAC? . How Can I Submit an Item to the PAL? Questions about this FAQ? Suggestions for improvement? Gripes? Contact: Richard Conn, Manager, Public Ada Library (PAL) conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu ======================================================= Subject: What is New since the last PAL FAQ? Added September 30, 1994: General review and rewrites throughout the FAQ Added Ada Belgium archive information under Alternate Sources Added information on AdaSAGE section of the PAL ======================================================= Subject: What is the Public Ada Library? Welcome to the Public Ada Library (PAL) Last Update: September 30, 1994 The Public Ada Library (PAL) is a library of Ada software, courseware, and documentation on the Internet-based host computer named wuarchive.wustl.edu (WUARCHIVE). The PAL is located in the directories languages/ada and languages/vhdl if you access WUARCHIVE by FTP, archie, gopher, the World Wide Web, or FTPMAIL, or in the directories /archive/languages/ada and /archive/languages/vhdl if you access WUARCHIVE by NFS. The PAL reached the following milestones as indicated: Milestone Date ----------------------------------------------- ------------------- Initial Operational Capability June 21, 1993 Voluntary Basis Washington University Provided Resources Funded in part by the National Science Foundation with Educational Grant from Digital Equipment Corporation Washington University Office of the Network Coordinator Sponsorship Activity Statistics Gathering Started September 1, 1993 Gopher Access Enabled January 1, 1994 Periodic CDROM Fabrication Process Started March 1, 1994 Funding Provided by Defense Information Systems March 28, 1994 Agency through the Army's Communications- Electronics Command Software Engineering Directorate Certification Process Started (Certifier_1) June 1, 1994 HyperText Transport Protocol Access Enabled July 1, 1994 PAL Exceeded 1 Billion Bytes in Size September 30, 1994 The purposes of the PAL are: . to help make Ada-oriented and VHDL-oriented (VHDL stands for VHSIC Hardware Description Language, where VHSIC stands for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit) software, courseware, and documentation that has been released for public distribution (as shareware, freeware, GNU Copyleft, etc) readily available to the public . to support Ada and VHDL educators by providing a convenient mechanism for them to exchange material and ideas . to support the Ada and VHDL user community in general by providing a resource in support of their activities The PAL, which is located in the directory trees languages/ada and languages/vhdl on WUARCHIVE, is actually seven collections of material in one: 1. the languages/ada/ajpo tree is a mirror of the public area of the ajpo.sei.cmu.edu host computer; this collection is maintained by the Ada Information Clearinghouse (AdaIC) under the direction of the Ada Joint Program Office; as a mirror, whenever the AdaIC updates its files on ajpo.sei.cmu.edu, the languages/ada/ajpo tree of the PAL is automatically updated within 24 hours; documentation on the languages/ada/ajpo tree is found scattered throughout the tree itself and in the PAL Catalog 2. the languages/ada/sei tree is a mirror of the public area of the ftp.sei.cmu.edu host computer; this collection is maintained by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI); as a mirror, whenever the SEI updates its files on ftp.sei.cmu.edu, the languages/ada/sei tree of the PAL is automatically updated within 24 hours; documentation on the languages/ada/sei tree is found scattered throughout the tree itself and in the PAL Catalog 3. the languages/ada/asr tree is the principal copy of the Ada Software Repository (ASR) on wsmr-simtel20.army.mil; the ASR is no longer actively maintained; documentation on the languages/ada/asr tree is found in the languages/ada/asr/mindex directory as the Master Index document (files are named *.ch, containing chapters of the document) and in the PAL Catalog 4. the languages/ada/sage tree is a mirror of the public area of the navair1.inel.gov host computer; this collection is maintained by the Idaho National Engineering Lab (INEL); as a mirror, whenever the public area (pub/sage) of navair1.inel.gov is updated, the languages/ada/sage tree of the PAL is automatically updated within 24 hours; documentation on the languages/ada/sage tree is found in the tree itself and in the PAL Catalog 5. the languages/ada/compiler/gnat/distrib tree is a mirror of the public area of the cs.nyu.edu host computer; this collection is maintained by the GNU NYU Ada9X Translator (GNAT) project; as a mirror, whenever the public ada (set aside for the PAL) of cs.nyu.edu is updated, the languages/ada/compiler/gnat/distrib tree of the PAL is automatically updated within 24 hours; documentation on the languages/ada/compiler/ gnat/distrib tree is found in the tree itself and in the PAL Catalog 6. the languages/vhdl tree is a mirror of the VHDL Repository at the University of Cincinnati, host uceng.uc.edu; this collection is maintained by Dr. Harold Carter of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Cincinnati; as a mirror, whenever the VHDL Repository is updated, the languages/vhdl tree of the PAL is automatically updated within 24 hours; documentation on the languages/vhdl tree is found scattered throughout the tree itself and in the PAL Catalog 7. the rest of the languages/ada tree is the part of the PAL maintained by the manager of the PAL; documentation is found in the directory languages/ada/userdocs/catalog, which contains the PAL Catalog, PAL LOTUS-123 and dBase IV compatible database files, and other forms of catalog information on the PAL WUARCHIVE is supported by the Office of the Network Coordinator, Washington University in Saint Louis. Funding for WUARCHIVE is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of the Network Coordinator. The PAL is supported with funding provided by the Ada Joint Program Office (AJPO) under the DoD's Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). The contract for the PAL support was awarded to Monmouth College in West Long Branch, New Jersey, through the Army's Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineeering Directorate (SED). Many organizations have developed cooperative relationships with the PAL, contributing time, effort, user support services, and artifacts to the PAL and its users either directly or indirectly. These organizations include: the Ada Joint Program Office (AJPO) the Ada Information Clearinghouse (AdaIC) the Ada and Software Engineering Education Team (ASEET) the Army Reuse Center (ARC) the Army's Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineering Directorate (SED) the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (ASD/C3I) the Asset Source for Software Engineering Technology (ASSET) the Central Archive for Reusable Defense Software (CARDS) Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers (CNAM) in Paris, France the DoD's Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) the Electronic Library for Software Assets (ELSA, formerly AdaNET) the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) the Software Reuse Repository at the University of Maine the Special Interest Group for Ada of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM/SIGAda) Team Ada the VHDL Repository at the University of Cincinnati Walnut Creek CDROM The PAL can be accessed by a wide variety of mechanisms. These mechanisms include, but are not limited to, the following: . FTP to WUARCHIVE itself (up to 250 simultaneous FTP users) . NFS mounts on WUARCHIVE . Gopher servers . HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) servers for the World Wide Web . FTPMAIL email servers . CDROM distributions . ELSA distributions and customer support (ELSA is free to users) . ASSET distributions and customer support (ASSET is free to users) . CARDS distributions and customer support (CARDS is free to DoD users) . ARC distributions and customer support (ARC is free to DoD users) To begin using the PAL, read the 0FAQ file (posted on USENET and available in the languages/ada subdirectory). This is a frequently-asked questions list. It is highly recommended that users obtain the current PAL Catalog (named PALCAT.DOC in the subdirectory languages/ada/userdocs/catalog) or the PAL Card Catalog (found in the subdirectory languages/toolkit/all in the file CARDCAT.ZIP) as well. The PAL Card Catalog is a program and database you can install on your local computer if you have a validated Ada compiler; it contains the same information as the PAL Catalog. If you are reading this from the top level of the Walnut Creek Ada CDROM from an MSDOS or equivalent platform, you may execute the batch file GO.BAT to run the interactive PAL Card Catalog or the batch file SHOW.BAT to run an interactive, animated introduction to the PAL. Finally, also in languages/ada is the file 0MANIFEST, which gives a top-level view of the contents of the PAL. Users wishing to access the PAL by FTP can use anonymous FTP to contact the main PAL host (wuarchive.wustl.edu) or the PAL mirror sites (ftp.cnam.fr and ftp.cdrom.com). The languages/ada tree on wuarchive corresponds to the pub/Ada/PAL tree on cnam and the pub/languages/ada tree on cdrom. Two hosts support access to the PAL as gopher servers: wuarchive.wustl.edu and gopher.wustl.edu. The host wuarchive.wustl.edu also supports an HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) server for users of the World Wide Web. See the section of the PAL FAQ entitled "How Can I Get to the Items in the PAL?" for more details. General Disclaimer ------------------ All software, courseware, documentation, and other items of information in the PAL are provided "AS IS" without any expressed or implied warranties whatsoever unless their individual documentation states otherwise. No warranties as to performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose exist. Because of the diversity of conditions under which this software may be used, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered. The user is advised to test the software and courseware thoroughly before relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk and liability of using this software, courseware, and documentation. In no event shall any person or organization be held responsible for any direct, indirect, consequential, or inconsequential damages or lost profits. Richard Conn Manager, PAL conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu ======================================================= Subject: In a Nutshell, What is in the PAL? Manifest of the Public Ada Library (PAL) Richard Conn 30 September 1994 This manifest is divided into two parts: a brief overview and a more detailed overview. BRIEF OVERVIEW Ada83 Compilers (3 for DOS, 2 for MAC) - NYU Ada/Ed, GWU Ada/Ed, Small Ada Ada9X Compilers - AVL Ada9X and GNU NYU Ada9X Translator (GNAT) Ada83 and Ada9X Information, Rationale, and Reference Manuals (including a hypertext version of the Ada83 LRM and interactive online versions of the Ada83 and Ada9X Reference Manuals) Ada Bindings (to X11R4, GKS, POSIX, SQL) and Interfaces (ASIS, IRDS, PCIS) Reusable Ada Software Components Ada Software Development Tools (including AdaSAGE) SEI's Capability Maturity Model Software for Ada Compiler Evaluation and Benchmarks (including ACES, ACVC, and PIWG) Ada, Software Engineering, Domain Engineering, OOD, and OOP Courses (including an interactive Ada83 tutor and an interactive Ada9X tutor) Technical reports on Ada, Software Engineering, Domain Engineering, OOD, OOP, and Reuse DETAILED OVERVIEW The PAL is divided into 7 sections: 1. AJPO Ada9X Information, Rationale, and Reference Manual Ada83 Information, Rationale, and Reference Manual Ada Language Issues and Commentary Ada Adoption Handbook General information files on Ada standards, policies, and projects Ada Success Stories Ada Technology Insertion Programs Ada Bindings Working Group and Information on Ada Bindings Ada Binding to X11R4 including Xt Intrinsics Ada Language Technical Issues and Comments Ada Style Guide Software for Ada Compiler Evaluation Ada Compiler Evaluation Suite (ACES) Ada Compiler Validation Capability (ACVC) Performance Issues Working Group (PIWG) benchmarks Evaluation and Validation working group information Catalog of Resources for Education in Ada and Software Engineering (CREASE) Portable Common Interface Set (PCIS) Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS) Ada Semantic Interface Set (ASIS) Use of Ada in Real-Time Systems Ada Runtime Environment working group information Catalog of Interface Features and Options (CIFO) 2. GNU NYU Ada9X Translator Ada9X Compiler and Targets for many platforms 3. SEI ACVC draft for Ada9X Technical reports from the SEI from 1987 to 1994 4. AdaSAGE Binaries and documentation to run AdaSAGE on PCs Source code to AdaSAGE Various ports of AdaSAGE 5. ASR - all source code written in Ada83 Several libraries of reusable Ada components, including math libraries Ada mode for GNU Emacs Ada compiler benchmark suites Common APSE (Ada Programming Support Environment) Interface Set (CAIS) Graphical Kernel System (GKS) binding Structured Query Language (SQL) binding Tools to support Ada software development Communication tools, including FTP and TELNET implementations in Ada TCP/IP in Ada Databases and database management systems Ada support for Artificial Intelligence Ada Pretty Printers Ada Cross-Reference tool Menu systems Message systems Ada metrics tools Ada Program Design Language Spelling Checker written in Ada Simple text editor written in Ada Courseware 6. VHDL VHDL and ANAVHDL Documents and General Information VHDL Validation VHDL Cookbook (a text on VHDL) VHDL Grammar Several VHDL Models Armstrong VHDL examples 7. PAL-Maintained Ada9X Compilers and Ports GNU Ada 9X Translator (GNAT) for various targets AVL Ada9X Compiler Ada83 Compilers New York University Ada/Ed for DOS George Washington University Ada/Ed and environment for DOS and MAC George Washington University Small Ada for DOS and MAC Ada bindings to Adobe Font Metrics Ada Semantic Interface Set (ASIS) to Graphical Kernel System Portable Common Tool Environment (PCTE) POSIX to Structured Query Language (SQL) to X11R4 Ada Courseware Software Engineering with Ada Object-Oriented Design with Ada Object-Oriented Programming with Ada Ada Programming Lab Interactive Ada83 Tutor Interactive Ada9X Tutor Database managers and generators Ada Report Production Systems Reusable Graphical Browser Large body of Ada- and reuse-oriented documentation Interactive Online Ada Language Reference Manuals for Ada83 for Ada9X (Version 3) Several collections of reusable Ada software components Several Ada software development toolsets Simple File Transfer Protocol (FTP) in Ada Xmodem and Kermit communication protocols in Ada Catalog of the entire Public Ada Library (over 1600 pages covering this entire CDROM) in text, Postscript, and interactive reader forms Database files of the entire Public Ada Library (catalog information extracted for use by Lotus-123 or DBase IV) See the PAL Catalog or PAL Card Catalog for more detailed information, including a taxonomy and an index. ======================================================= Subject: What is WUARCHIVE? Last Update: September 30, 1994 The host computer named wuarchive.wustl.edu (WUARCHIVE) is a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) Alpha AXP 3000 Model 400. It is equipped with 192M bytes of RAM and over 50G bytes of disk space, and it is able to support up to 250 simultaneous anonymous FTP sessions, many remote NFS mounts, a gopher server, and an HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) server for the World Wide Web. WUARCHIVE is owned by the Office of the Network Coordinator, Washington University in Saint Louis. It is supported out of the budget of the Office of the Network Coordinator and by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The Office of the Network Coordinator and the National Science Foundation have jointly paid for the hardware of the machine and for the services of the support personnel at Washington University in Saint Louis. The maintainers of the archives which originate on WUARCHIVE are volunteers, working on an unfunded basis. The support personnel who maintain the operational support software, including the software which keeps the mirrors up to date, are funded by the Office of the Network Coordinator and the National Science Foundation grant. We wish to express our gratitude to Digital Equipment Corporation for the sale of the DEC Alpha at a substantial discount and to the National Science Foundation for its grant in support of WUARCHIVE. ======================================================= Subject: What Electronic Mailing Lists Support PAL Users? Last Update: December 6, 1993 WUNET.WUSTL.EDU is the electronic mail list server for users of the Public Ada Library. A separate computer from WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU (on which the PAL is located), WUNET's purpose in life from the point of view of the PAL user is to manage the electronic mailing lists supporting him. The List Server is a program on WUNET which manages Lists (Electronic Mailing Lists). The user can send commands to the List Server, and it will respond by performing actions for him (such as adding him to a List, removing him from a List, and sending him a message naming all the lists supported by the List Server). The user can send email messages to the List, and the subscribers to the List will receive these messages. To find out what commands the List Server can respond to, send an email message to listserv@wunet.wustl.edu which contains an empty subject line and one line in the body of the message (starting in the first column): help If you wish to subscribe to an electronic mailing list, send an electronic mail message to: listserv@wunet.wustl.edu Leave the subject line blank and place the following line into the body of this message: subscribe <electronic mailing list name> Example: subscribe pal-announce Begin this line in column 1. Your return address will be used as the address to which announcements will be sent. A list of the electronic mailing lists for the PAL user community is included below. You will receive a message back from the listserv software, telling you of the success or failure of your request. Once subscribed, a user can send electronic mail to all subscribers of a List by sending email to the list's name at wunet.wustl.edu; example: ada-train@wunet.wustl.edu This, of course, only works if the List is bidirectional. The ANNOUNCE Lists are unidirectional (read-only from the point of view of the subscribers). Subscribers cannot post email messages to the ANNOUNCE lists - only the moderator of the ANNOUNCE lists can post messages. A partial list of electronic mailing lists available from listserv@wunet.wustl.edu --------------------------------------------------------- These lists are for the PAL user community. For a more complete list of the mailing lists available to your site, send a mail message to listserv@wunet.wustl.edu which contains the command "DIR/LISTS". Wuarchive-Announce - Notification of any planned downtime or service changes for wuarchive.wustl.edu. The only announcements from this list will be from local staff or archivers. Pal-Announce - Announcements concerning the Public Ada Library (PAL). These include additions to, changes to and other announcements concerning the PAL. You can not post messages here. Ada-Train - This list is for the discussion of topics concerning Ada training and education. This is a general discussion list. EducationWG - This list is a bidirectional mailing list for those people interested in participating in the Education Working group of ACM/SIGAda. It is used to exchange information about the activities of the working group and coordinate those activities. Reuse - This list is a bidirectional mailing list for those people interested in software reuse technology. This includes, but is not limited to, the fields of designing for reuse, object-oriented reuse methods, reuse tools and environments, generic code architectures, domain-specific kits, reuse education, technology transfer, formal methods, certification of reusable components, and management issues as they pertain to reuse. ReuseWG - This list is a bidirectional mailing list for those people interested in participating in the Reuse Working Group of ACM/SIGAda. It is used to exchange information about the activities of the working group and coordinate those activities. ======================================================= Subject: What Documentation is Available to Help the PAL User? Last Update: June 6, 1994 The subdirectory userdocs/catalog in the PAL contains a number of documents of interest to the users of the PAL. The key user documents in this subdirectory are: CAT_DOC.ZIP and CAT_PS.ZIP - a catalog, complete with table of contents and index, of the contents of the PAL in the form of a book; CAT_DOC.ZIP contains the chapters as ASCII text, CAT_PS.ZIP contains the chapters as Postscript files that print 2 pages per physical page in landscape (1/2 the number of hardcopy pages required by CAT_DOC.ZIP) TAXONOMY.ZIP - a taxonomy of the PAL in ASCII and Postscript CSV_DB.ZIP - contains a Comma-Separated-Value (CSV) ASCII text file which can be read into database managers like dBase IV and spreadsheets like LOTUS 1-2-3 to allow the user to scan for items of interest offline; the contents of this ZIP file are CSV_DB.DOC and CSV_HDR.DOC, where DB contains the data and HDR contains structure information The subdirectory userdocs/catalog/id_files contains the Item Description files from which the above files were created. Item Description files exist for each item in the PAL. The subdirectory userdocs/catalog/c1_rpts contains certification reports generated by the Certifier 1 program on all Ada source code in the PAL. File names in id_files and c1_rpts which have the same prefix refer to the same item. The subdirectory userdocs/faqfile in the PAL contains the PAL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list: PAL.FAQ -- the Frequently Asked Questions list Other files in the userdocs/catalog and userdocs/faqfile subdirectories are used to create these key files. Additionally, the user is invited to look in the following directories for additional useful information: userdocs/alt_srcs -- alternate sources to the items in the PAL userdocs/internet -- information on using the Internet userdocs/internet/email -- archives of the PAL email lists Public Ada Library (PAL) Card Catalog ------------------------------------- The Public Ada Library Card Catalog is an interactive browser that presents all the information in the PAL Catalog: 1. A top-level view of the entire Public Ada Library 2. Descriptions of all the items in the Public Ada Library, including abstracts, locations of files, author information, and release and copyright information 3. An extensive index and taxonomy The PAL Card Catalog also includes the complete text of the current PAL FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list and online help. The file QSTART.TXT is a short (10 minute) tutorial on how to use the PAL Card Catalog. The directory languages/ada/toolkit/all contains CARDCAT.ZIP, a ZIP file which contains the source code to the PAL Card Catalog along with instructions for installing it on any system supported by an Ada83 compiler. A validated Ada83 compiler and CS Parts are required to perform the installation. CS Parts can be found under the directory languages/ada/swcomps/csparts. The directory languages/ada/toolkit/msdos/cardcat contains ccat_pc.zip, a ZIP file which contains the files in the runme subdirectory. The files in ccat_pc.zip are ready to run under MSDOS. ======================================================= Subject: How is PAL Like a Conventional Library? Last Update: June 21, 1993 Many similarities can be drawn between the Public Ada Library (PAL) on the WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU host computer and a conventional library. These similarities include: . the way users browse through the libraries, . the availability of a catalog of the contents of the libraries, . the availability of reviews of the items in the libraries, . the availability of bulletin boards to find out what is new, and . the availability of support to help you use the libraries. In a conventional library, you can walk into the library and walk amongst the books, picking them off the shelves as you wish. In the PAL, you can FTP into it and move amongst the directories (via the CD command), copying files out of PAL as you wish. You could also mount the disk containing PAL via NFS and access it like any read-only disk, again copying files out of PAL as you wish. There is one significant drawback to this approach: by picking up an item "at random," you may miss other items which are prerequisites to the one you selected. The catalog (a card catalog in a conventional library or the PAL catalog in the PAL) can help you avoid this problem. In a conventional library, you can go up to the card catalog and look for what you are interested in by topic. In the PAL, you can copy down the catalog file and browse through it at your convenience or you can copy down the online database files, load them into a database manager or spreadsheet of your choice, and browse through them in that fashion. In a conventional library, there are books you can examine which are reviews of other books. In the current PAL, the catalog includes REVIEW CODES to give you a brief review of an item. CMM files are also available occasionally. In phase 2 of the PAL, there will be review reports generated by automated tools. In a conventional library, there are bulletin boards and other places where you can go to find out about the new releases. In the PAL, there are release notices, currently being posted to comp.lang.ada. Finally, in a conventional library, there is a reference librarian you can speak to if you have a question. In the PAL, there is only me at this time, and I can be reached via electronic mail. However, there are also the alternate sources of the PAL, particularly AdaNET. I ask that you try to exhaust all the other possibilities before contacting me directly. Instead, please subscribe to a service like AdaNET (which is currently free to you). They are providing a mirror of the PAL and they support their users via electronic mail and customer support telephone line, including an 800 telephone number. ======================================================= Subject: Is the Software in PAL Free of Defects? Last Update: June 21, 1993 The software in the PAL is an outstanding collection from all over the world, but it comes with a warning: like any such collection, there are outstanding items, good items, average items, and poor items. This software contains items which are really useful, items which you cannot live without, and items which simply may not work in your environment. So you, as a user, must not come into this thinking that everything is perfect. So how do you know in advance what software is good and what is bad? Study. This problem has come up over and over again with the Ada Software Repository (ASR), and I answered this by adding a REVIEW CODE field to all the items in the ASR Master Index. Chapter 1 of the Master Index gives the keys for this field (e.g., CS means Compiled Successfully, ES means Executed Successfully, NR means Not Rated (I don't know if it is good or bad), etc.). Every item in the Master Index book has an associated REVIEW CODE field. Look at this when you consider using the item. Also, look for Comment (CMM) files throughout the ASR. They tell success/problem stories. They are text files, so you can just read them. Finally, if you find an item marked with a CS and ES, note the compilers/platforms noted with this mark (e.g., CS(DEC Ada), etc.). If a number of compilers/platforms are named, you probably have a very portable item. The PAL has a document called the PAL Catalog (similar in nature to the Master Index of the ASR). The PAL Catalog has a similar REVIEW CODE field, and CMM files are also support in the PAL. In phase 2 of the PAL, one or more automated static code analysis tools will be used to analyze the Ada source code in the PAL and report on it. ======================================================= Subject: What is Certifier_1 and What Certification is Done? Last Update: June 6, 1994 The second stage in the development of the Public Ada Library (PAL) has begun with the introduction of the concept of certification to the Ada source code in the library. A program, Certifier_1, has been created that will be initially used to evaluate all Ada source code submitted to the PAL. Certifier_1 has the ability to analyze thousands of files in a single pass, checking on their interdependencies. It ranks the files it is asked to analyze as OK or NOT OK and assigns a letter grade to the system (A, B, or C is OK, D and F are NOT OK). Certifier_1 contains a lexical analyzer and a parser for the Ada83 language. A grade of F is assigned to the system if syntax or lexical errors are encountered. Certifier_1 also builds an internal data structure describing the interdependencies of the library units and subunits. If stubs (subunit bodies) are missing and there are no syntax or lexical errors, a grade of D is assigned to the system indicating that major parts of it are missing. This is not necessarily bad; the Abstractions library from Intermetrics, for instance, received a letter grade of D because of missing subunits, but, when the Intermetrics Standards Checker was evaluated with Abstractions, the Standards Checker code filled in the missing subunits, giving the combined Standards Checker and Abstractions system a grade of A. Certifier_1 also checks on compiler-specific pragmas, the use of machine code, and the withing of library units that are not a part of the analyzed code. It awards lower grades (B and C) if all else is OK and one of these issues comes up. A grade of a B or a C may or may not mean there is a problem. Compiler-specific library units may be employed, causing the lower grade, for example. Also, it may be possible to raise the grade by including another components library, like CS Parts or New Abstractions, in the evaluation to fill in the missing library units. However, a B or a C may also mean that code has been omitted. Certifier_1 generates two reports: a report for inclusion in the PAL database entry on the item and a log file which describes details on the problems encountered, including line numbers and file names on or near which the problems can be found. Log reports can be found for each item in the PAL by checking in the directory languages/ada/userdocs/catalog/c1_rpts. Reports are named after the items on which they report; ada_sda.c1, for instance, is the report associated with the Software ID file ada_sda.sid. Certifier_1 is by no means a final solution to the problem of certification of reusable software in a library. However, it is a start. It does not beat a compiler by any means, but it does provide a quick, first-look solution. It does not determine logical errors or problems with completeness. Many things can slip through Certifier_1, but, likewise, many things do not. It is a first step. Richard Conn Manager, Public Ada Library Author, Certifier_1 ======================================================= Subject: What are Review Codes? Last Update: June 6, 1994 The database maintained on the PAL includes Review Codes which are used to indicate to some extent the level of trust which may be placed in a particular item. These Review Codes are defined as follows: Code Meaning ---- ------- AR AdaNET Report is available (usually in the ZIP file); AdaNET Reports contain information on experiences in compiling this item C1 The Certifier_1 tool has analyzed the Ada source code in this item; the full format of this entry is "C1 n.n g" where n.n is the version number of Certifier_1 and g is the letter grade given by Certifier_1 (A, B, and C are satisfactory; D and F are not satisfactory) CMM Comment Files (*.CMM, *.CM2, etc) are available which describe one or more problems with the item CS Compiled Successfully (followed by an indication of the Ada compiler used in parentheses) by the reviewer ES Executed Successfully (followed by an indication of the target computer used in parentheses if different from the systems mentioned in the CS list) by the reviewer MF-CODE Missing File - Code; one or more files of source code are missing; the item cannot be compiled without these files MF-DATA Missing File - Data; one or more files used as input data when the compiled code runs are missing; the item cannot be executed without these files NR Not Reviewed OK This is a text file which is believed to be an accurate copy of the original RI Review Incomplete (only some results of a partial review are posted) SDA Report generated by the Ada System Dependency Analyzer is available; if followed by a number from 1 to 5 (e.g., SDA5), the number indicates the relative quality of the item, where 5 is of the highest quality not negation prefix (e.g., not ES or not OK) ======================================================= Subject: How Do I Handle the Various Types of Files in PAL? Last Update: November 14, 1993 A number of file formats have come into play among the files in the PAL, and this document is designed to bring them to your attention. Text Files ---------- There are two basic kinds of ASCII text files: MSDOS format and UNIX format. The difference is that lines in MSDOS format files are terminated by a pair of characters (carriage return and line feed) while lines in UNIX format files are terminated by a single character (line feed). Occasionally, MSDOS format files will also have one or more ^Z characters at their end, but this is becoming more and more rare. Consequently, if you are on a UNIX system and want to process an MSDOS text file, there may be problems. Likewise if you are on an MSDOS system trying to process a UNIX text file. In the toolkit directory are the programs u2m -- unix to msdos text file format converter m2u -- msdos to unix text file format converter t2t -- whatever to current text file format converter The toolkit directory includes executables of these programs for MSDOS. Source code is also included for others. The t2t program also has a -c option that can be used to test a text file to determine what kind of a text file it is. You may find these programs to be very useful. As a rule, the text files in the PAL are UNIX text files. PAGER2 Files ------------ PAGER2 files are UNIX or MSDOS text files created by the PAGER2 program in the PAL. They have a file type of SRC (altho not all SRC files are necessarily PAGER2 files). PAGER2 is used to concatenate a number of Ada source files into one file, where each component file is separated by a special Ada comment. That way, Ada source files can be stored in a single SRC file in compilation order and compiled as one group. The pager2 program can be found in the toolkit directory. ZIP Files --------- These are binary archive files, usually containing a set of files in a directory tree structure that will be reproduced when the files are extracted. The toolkit directory contains the source code to popular ZIP and UNZIP programs supported by the Info-ZIP Internet group. GNU ZIP Files ------------- These are compressed binary files, usually containing one file that is reproduced when the GUNZIP program is run. The toolkit directory contains the executables and source code to the GNU ZIP (GZIP) and GNU UNZIP (GUNZIP) programs supported by the Free Software Foundation. The GNU ZIP and Info-ZIP file formats are different. TAR Files --------- These are text/binary archive files, usually containing a set of files like a ZIP file. TAR (Tape Archiver) came from the UNIX world, and the toolkit directory contains a TAR.EXE program so MSDOS users can get at and extract files from TAR files. Compressed (*.Z) Files ---------------------- The compress/uncompress program pair came from the UNIX world for file compression purposes. The toolkit directory includes an UNCOMP.EXE program for uncompressing UNIX *.Z files on a PC. With ZIP on PCs (and now on virtually all other platforms), compress is less and less necessary since ZIP automatically compresses as it stores. Files named *.taz are compressed *.tar files; uncompress them first, then use tar to extract their contents. WARNING: *.tar files may contain directory or file names that are not compatible with your operating system. For example, the tar file may have originally been created on a UNIX system and you are trying to extract its contents on an MSDOS system. The MSDOS tar program may correctly shorten the file and directory names, but if there are conflicts, files may be overwritten. Watch out for this potential problem. Compressed or GNU ZIPped TAR Files ---------------------------------- The TAR files are frequently compressed by either using the UNIX COMPRESS program or the GNU ZIP program. The resulting compressed TAR files are named filename.tar.Z and filename.tar.gz, respectively. To maintain compliance with ISO-9660 file name requirements, the file types *.taz and *.tgz are used to indicated compressed tar and GNU ZIPped tar files, respectively: Original File Name ... is equivalent to ... PAL File Name ------------------ ------------- filename.tar.Z filename.taz filename.tar.gz filename.tgz ======================================================= Subject: How Can I Get to the Items in the PAL? PAL Alternate Sources Tree Richard Conn, 30 September 1994 conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu The PAL can be accessed directly via FTP, NFS, gopher, and the World Wide Web using the wuarchive.wustl.edu host computer. For users interested in a general background on the Internet and the techniques for using FTP, NFS, gopher, and the World Wide Web, see the PAL subdirectory userdocs/internet for documentation and pointers to books. This userdocs/alt_srcs tree contains information about companies and organizations that provide support in some way to the PAL user community through value-added services and products. Some users of PAL may not have access to PAL directly via FTP and NFS, so the following information is presented to help them find alternate ways of accessing the PAL. Examples of such services are: 1. The donation of equipment to Washington University at St. Louis that is used by PAL 2. The sale of consulting services to the PAL user community to answer questions about PAL and help users locate items they are looking for in PAL or other resources Examples of such products are: 1. The sale of CDROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, etc., that contain a copy of PAL in an alternate form, making it possible for people who do not have Internet or email archive server access to obtain a copy of the items in PAL 2. The sale of computer accounts that place users on the Internet so they can access PAL Companies and organizations wishing to be added to this tree are invited to send email describing their services or products to me at the above email address. I will work with them to provide "free advertising" space in PAL under this tree so users of PAL can be made aware of their services and products. I reserve the right to edit material provided by these companies in the event that this material violates some known law, public sensibilities, or the like. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/archie.txt Getting Started with Archie Derived from: HELP for the archie email server, as of 10 April, 1993. Last Update: 30 September 1994 To get started with using archie to retrieve files from the Public Ada Library (or any of about 800 archives on the Internet, for that matter), send an email message with a subject of "help" and a body of "help" (no quotes in either the subject or body) to: archie@<archie_server> <archie_server> is the name of an archie host. The current (and complete) list of archie servers can be found with the "servers" command (described in the help message). A sample list is: archie.rutgers.edu 128.6.18.15 (USA) archie.unl.edu 129.93.1.14 (USA) archie.sura.net 128.167.254.179 (USA) archie.ans.net 147.225.1.2 (USA) archie.au 139.130.4.6 (Australia) archie.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 (European server in Finland) archie.sogang.ac.kr 163.239.1.11 (Korea) If you do not get mail back within 2 days or so, try using one of the other archie sites. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/belgium.txt The Ada-Belgium Archive Last Update: 30 September 1994 An enormous amount of Ada-related information, compilers, tools, etc. is freely available on several archive sites abroad (mainly the U.S.A.) for electronic transfer. One of the aims of the Ada-Belgium organization is to disseminate Ada-related information. So, in addition to the organization of seminars, workshops, etc., and the publication of our newsletter, we are also setting up such an Ada archive for people and companies in Belgium. This enables everyone interested, to consult and download all this software and documents using an ftp and e-mail server in Belgium, thus without the need to use (expensive) international connections. Ada-Belgium acquired a CD-ROM drive, which is available via the archive. The drive currently contains the July 1994 version of the Ada CD-ROM, i.e. a copy of the Internet's Public Ada Library (PAL) as of July 1994 (620 MB of Ada documentation, information, and source code). The archive is available via: - the Ada-Belgium WWW home-page (World Wide Web) http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~dirk/ada-belgium/ - the FTP-server of the K.U.Leuven Computer Science Department ftp://ftp.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/pub/Ada-Belgium - an e-mail server for people without ftp-access. For more information, send a message To: mail-server@cs.kuleuven.ac.be Subject: begin help dir Ada-Belgium send Ada-Belgium/README end The Ada-Belgium archive is primarily intended for the Belgian Ada community, but anyone interested is welcome to use it. The archive currently only contains the Ada CDROM. Your help is appreciated! ------------------------- We are still looking for sponsors of a large disk, so we can mirror the PAL (and other Ada archives) directly. If you are in a position to help us to expand this Ada server for Belgium, e.g. by providing some hardware (a large disk drive, a server machine, etc.), please contact me. Acknowledgements: ----------------- The Department of Computer Science of the K.U.Leuven in Belgium kindly provides the computer resources to run the Ada-Belgium WWW/ftp/e-mail servers and associated mailing lists; and our sponsors provide the means to make Ada-Belgium possible. Ada-Belgium sponsors: (in alphabetical order) --------------------- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven) Koninklijke Militaire School / Ecole Royale Militaire (K.M.S./E.R.M.) Offis N.V./S.A. Trasys N.V./S.A Universiti Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.) Dirk Craeynest (Team Ada) Ada-Belgium Newsletter Editor | e-mail: dirk@cs.kuleuven.ac.be Katholieke Universiteit Leuven | dirk@source.asset.com Department of Computer Science | phone: ++32(0)16-201015 x3575 Celestijnenlaan 200 A | fax: ++32(0)16-205308 B-3001 Leuven (Heverlee), Belgium | http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~dirk -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/cnam.txt CNAM Mirror of the PAL Last update: 6 December 1993 The server ftp.cnam.fr (in France) is a mirror site for the Public Ada Library. Its current address is 163.173.128.6. This mirror site is available to all who want to access the PAL, but it is particularly useful to those in Europe. Some statistics on it: . ftp.cnam.fr is a VAX 6000/510 with Ultrix 4.3. It uses a Renater + Ebone network with a 2 Mbit/second line. . The /pub directory contains: Ada CNAM Modulog Network Rfc VMS incoming . And the /pub/Ada directory contains: AJPO Ada-Ed -- links to PAL/compiler/adaed CNAM PAL Repository -- links to PAL/ASR . The complete path to PAL is ftp.cnam.fr:/pub/Ada/PAL. . CNAM mirrors the PAL automatically every day at 2 pm, local time (UT + 1 or UT + 2, depending on the season). . CNAM uses the WU ftp server and log every transfer so they can provide statistics. . CNAM also mirrors the AJPO host (/pub/Ada/AJPO). Thanks very much to Stephane and the others working with and supporting him for this service: Stephane Bortzmeyer Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers bortzmeyer@cnam.cnam.fr Laboratoire d'Informatique 292, rue Saint-Martin tel: +33 (1) 40 27 27 31 75141 Paris Cedex 03 fax: +33 (1) 40 27 27 72 France -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/decus.txt CDROMs from DECUS Last Update: 6 December 1993 The Digital Equipment Computer Users' Society (DECUS) is in the process of systematically making CDROMs of the entire WUARCHIVE, including the Public Ada Library (PAL). I have been advised that DECUS intends to create new versions periodically. You can get an application for membership in the DECUS U.S. Chapter by calling (508) 841-3500. Sites which wish to get DECUS CDROMs should contact their DECUS Local User Group or the DECUS Library at: DECUS Library 333 South St, SHR1-4/D33 Shrewsbury, MA 01545-4112 (508) 480-3418 / (508) 480-3659 / (508) 480-3446 When contacting DECUS, be sure to check on the date of the CDROM release. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/elsa.txt Electronic Library Services and Applications (ELSA) Last Update: 30 September 1994 Electronic Library Services and Applications (ELSA) project is the operational part of the Repository Based Software Engineering (RBSE) program. RBSE is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sponsored program dedicated to introducing and supporting common, effective approaches to designing, building, and maintaining software systems by using existing software assets stored in a specialized library or repository stands as the program's foundation. In addition to operating a software repository, RBSE promotes software engineering technology transfer, academic and instructional support for reuse programs, the use of common software engineering standards and practices, software reuse technology research, and interoperability between reuse libraries/repositories. During its life cycle, the ELSA project responded to emerging technologies, the growing sophistication of its client base, and industry trends by advancing the capabilities of its management software. This ELSA stands as a customer-driven environment employing an advanced library management mechanism. ELSE repository contains PAL software and more. In addition, our Phased Certification Process provides Ada software with value-added analysis reports, including complexity reports, declaration tree reports and invocation tree reports. Our non-software information includes research papers, standards and technical reports authored by recognized, authoritative sources on software engineering principles and practices. Our Client Service team provides timely response to requests for any component in print or electronic media. Clients can have qualified software engineers and librarians to assist in locating ELSA and/or PAL components that satisfy their needs. All of our services are free of charge. ELSA clients automatically receive an account on our host which is connected to Internet. While this does not provide full Internet access, Internet e-mail facilities are available. Lastly, MountainNet provides a service, MountainNetWorks, which offers Internet access at a reasonable rate for individuals and groups. ELSA was formerly known as AdaNET. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/ftpmail.txt Anonymous FTP via Electronic Mail Derived from: HELP for the archie email server Last update: 10 April 1993 Anonymous FTP may be performed through the mail by various ftp-mail servers. Send a message with the word 'help' in it to: For BITNET/EARN sites ONLY: bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu or (general access): ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com for an explanations on how to use them. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/rational.txt Rational News Last Update: 6 December 1993 Rational is now offering an online news distribution service that provides information --press releases, case studies, and so on-- to the general public using electronic mail. The news is available over the Internet to anyone interested in receiving it. Subscribers must have access to the Internet for e-mail (either directly or via a gateway). Rational will distribute pertinent, timely information that is of interest to the Ada community. The purpose of this service is to keep Ada community informed and up to date on Rational's latest product announcements and developments. If you would like to receive this information electronically, please contact Kara Myers at 408-496-3891 or karam@Rational.com with your e-mail address. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/rushrvr.txt Ada Collection from Rush River Software Last Update: 30 September 1994 The "Ada Collection", collected by the Grebyn Corporation, and published by Rush River Software, is the largest collection of Ada material on the market. As a two CD-ROM collection of Ada material, it includes Ada software and utilities, extensive documentation and commentary on various aspects of Ada, and vast university and government repositories of Ada material adding up to approximately 1.2 Gigabytes of Ada material. The "Ada Collection" presents the software packages in the simplest format possible. For example, you will not need any utilities to unarchive the software packages. Because these software packages are in the most straight forward format, they are intended for use on many different systems, and are retained in that form, so that you can easily copy them and run them on your own system. Most of the material has been collected from many different FTP archives, and includes material from both individual and corporate contributors. Ada Language Utilities Language Translators | The Ada/Ed Interpreter | The GNAT Compiler | Code Analyzers | An Ada Mode for GNU Emacs | A Makefile Generator Ada Software Packages Ada-TUTR, an Ada tutorial | Mathematical software including NRG software packages | Graphical software including the GKS software package | Bindings for Motif and the X Window System | Ada Software Engineering Tools (Ada YACC, AdaFace) | Small Ada AdaSAGE | Anna-I toolset, V 1.5 Documentation on Ada Ada 83 | Ada 9X | Ada Language Specifications Many Ada publications | Ada Language Reference | Archives of the comp.lang.ada Usenet newsgroup Contributions From Rational | Verdix | Software Innovations | George Washington University | Software Arts & Sciences To introduce the Ada Collection, Rush River Software is bundling the CD-ROM repository with two invaluable Ada resources, Object-Oriented Design with Ada: Maximizing Reusability for Real-Time Systems, by Kjell Nielsen (regularly $49.95), and Developing with Ada: Life-Cycle Methods, by Bruce E. Krell (regularly $54.95) . Both books are published by Computer Literacy Bookshops. ORDERING INFORMATION: Order The Ada Collection through Computer Literacy Bookshops, Inc. by calling (408) 435-0744, Fax (408) 435-1823 for west coast customers, and (703) 734-7771 or (800) 258-9390 for east coast customers. You can also reach Computer Literacy Bookshops by E-Mail info@clbooks.com. The Ada Collection can also be ordered directly from Rush River Software. Call 800-275-1738, mail or fax the attached order form, or send email to order-rr@comm-data.com. Both companies accept Visa and Mastercard orders. For a more detailed listing of the CD-ROM contents, send an email request to info-rr@comm-data.com. Quantity discounts are available. Rush River is an expanding business. We can help master, publish, or distribute your CD-ROM project. Our experience covers everything from art work, and publication issues to ROM mastering. We know how to do ROMS! Call us for help. (703) 534-0034 As a growing business, Rush River is always looking for new opportunities. If you see a need for a title or are interested in compiling a title please call us. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/simtel.txt PAL Interoperation with the SimTel Software Repository Last Update: 30 September 1994 I am delighted to report that the Public Ada Library (PAL) is now interoperating with the SimTel Software Repository for MSDOS. Ada-oriented material targetted for use under MSDOS is now being distributed by the SimTel Software Repository to its users under its "ada" directory. The SimTel Software Repository already has directories for C and C++, so this adds Ada on the same playing field. The Ada section of the SimTel Software Repository includes MSDOS-based executables for: Ada Tutor 3.00 (Ada83 and Ada9X Interactive Tutorial) GWU Ada/Ed GNU NYU Ada9x Translator (GNAT) Version 1.79 Ada83 LRM Reader NASA Ada Pretty Printer The SimTel Software Repository, run by Coast to Coast Communications, Inc., as a commercial enterprise, became the home for the MSDOS part of the old SIMTEL20 collection after WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL was discontinued about a year ago. The SimTel Software Repository is available on a 2-CDROM set from Coast-to-Coast Communications and on various CDROM offerings from a number of vendors, including Walnut Creek CDROM. The Ada collection in the SimTel Software Repository is mirrored by the following 15 sites in 13 countries. Users cannot access the primary host of the SimTel Software Repository itself. Rochester, Michigan: oak.oakland.edu (141.210.10.117) /SimTel/msdos/ada St. Louis, Missouri: wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4) /systems/ibmpc/msdos/ada Corvallis, Oregon: archive.orst.edu (128.193.2.13) /pub/mirrors/simtel/msdos/ada Australia: archie.au (139.130.4.6) /micros/pc/oak/ada England: src.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.2.10) /pub/packages/simtel/ada Finland: ftp.funet.fi (128.214.248.6) /pub/msdos/SimTel/ada France: ftp.ibp.fr (132.227.60.2) /pub/pc/SimTel/msdos/ada Germany: ftp.uni-paderborn.de (131.234.2.32) /SimTel/msdos/ada Hong Kong: ftp.cs.cuhk.hk (137.189.4.57) /pub/simtel/msdos/ada Israel: ftp.technion.ac.il (132.68.1.10) /pub/unsupported/dos/simtel/ada Poland: ftp.cyf-kr.edu.pl (149.156.1.8) /pub/mirror/msdos/ada Sweden: ftp.sunet.se (130.238.127.3) /pub/pc/mirror/SimTel/msdos/ada Switzerland: ftp.switch.ch (130.59.1.40) /mirror/msdos/ada Taiwan: nctuccca.edu.tw (140.111.1.10) /PC/simtel/ada Thailand: ftp.nectec.or.th (192.150.251.32) /pub/mirrors/msdos/ada Richard Conn Manager, Public Ada Library -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wcreek.txt Walnut Creek Ada CDROM and Mirror of the PAL Last Update: 30 September 1994 The Walnut Creek Ada CDROM is a complete copy of the Public Ada Library. It is updated every few months (so far, there have been editions in November 1993, March 1994, July 1994, and November 1994). The company, Walnut Creek CDROM, also operates a mirror of the PAL on the Internet on the host ftp.cdrom.com. Four aids are available on the CDROM (and in the PAL) for locating items of interest: 1. The PAL Catalog (in ASCII text and Postscript) - a complete document (about 5" thick when printed as Postscript, 10" as ASCII) describing all items in the PAL (and the CDROM); includes a table of contents, taxonomy, and index; Chapter 1 describes how to use the document and other items of interest 2. The PAL Card Catalog - an interactive version of the PAL Catalog; same information; available as an MSDOS executable that can be run directly off the CDROM and in Ada source form with instructions for compilation (very portable - has been run on VAXen, Suns, HPs); includes search and print facilities; the file QSTART.TXT presents a quick, 10-minute tutorial on how to use the PAL Card Catalog 3. MSDOS directory viewer from Walnut Creek - DOS-based tool for quickly and easily moving through the directories on the CDROM, browsing files, unzipping files, etc. 4. NCSA Mosaic for Microsoft Windows - precompiled to run standalone under MS Windows version 3.1 with an overview of the CDROM in hypertext markup language prepared by Eugene Bingue This CDROM can be purchased from several resellers (be sure to look for the latest version) and directly from Walnut Creek CDROM at 800/786-9907 or 510/674-0783 for under $50 (including shipping and handling). A subscription to it can be taken out for under $25 per copy. Quantity discounts are available. Their FAX is 510/674-0821, and their email is orders@cdrom.com. Disclaimer and Thanks: I have no affiliation with Walnut Creek CDROM other than having organized their Ada CDROMs and worked with them to help set up the PAL mirror site at ftp.cdrom.com. I make no money from sales, and have even gone as far as purchasing the Ada CDROMs I organized for my personal use. I wish to thank Walnut Creek CDROM (particularly Bob Bruce and Jack Velte) for supporting the Public Ada Library by freely providing the ftp.cdrom.com mirror site, for providing a special purchase to ACM/SIGAda for promotion of Ada at conferences, and for giving away complimentary copies of the Ada CDROMs for the promotion of Ada. Richard Conn 30 September 1994 -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wu_nfs.txt Mounting WUARCHIVE via the Network File System (NFS) Last Update: 30 September 1994 Computers on the Internet which also support NFS can access WUARCHIVE by mounting the /archive partition on WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU as a logical disk. How to do this varies from system to system, but, to get you started, the following describes how to mount the partition by placing an entry into the file /etc/fstab, which is found on most UNIX systems that support NFS. A mailing list has been created for the purpose of notifying interested parties of changes in operational status of wuarchive (i.e. downtime, major additions to the archives, etc.). Sites which NFS mount the archives are strongly urged to subscribe to this list and it is open to any other individuals who are interested. For information on how to subscribe to the wuarchive-announce mailing list, fetch a copy of the file info/README.MAILING-LIST and read it. Here are some example /etc/fstab entries. The first one is for Ultrix, which should be compatible with any 4.2BSD system and the second is for 4.3BSD UNIX. The local mount point in these examples is named /wu. Similar things are needed for other systems, but it is not feasible to exhaustively enumerate them -- you're on your own. 4.2BSD and Ultrix: /archive@wuarchive.wustl.edu:/wu:ro:0:0:nfs:bg,soft,intr,noexec: 4.3BSD: wuarchive.wustl.edu:/archive /wu nfs ro,noquota,soft,intr,bg,noexec 0 0 Note that not all systems support the noexec option, so you may need to remove it from the mount options above. The /archive partition on wuarchive is currently a 21GB logical disk. Programs that report the total disk usage and free space, such as 'df' on UNIX systems, are sometimes confused by large disks and will report erroneous used/free space -- for example you may see that your /wu partition has -234364KB used. Just ignore such results, or beat on your vendor to fix the problem. Please feel free to mount the archive partition at any time. Wuarchive is up and running and ready to service your every request... If you do mount the archive partitions, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SOFT MOUNTED. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wwwcnam.txt World Wide Web Ada Server for the PAL on web.cnam.fr Last Update: 30 September 1994 It is made of three parts: http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/ the home page with pointers with the other pages http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/catalog.html a catalog of most frequently asked software (very short at the present time) http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/find_in_PAL.html a index page to explore names of files, directories and READMEs (may be mail on the pal-announce list, too?). It uses a base which is automatically updated twice in a week. Stephane Bortzmeyer Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers bortzmeyer@cnam.fr Laboratoire d'Informatique 292, rue Saint-Martin tel: +33 (1) 40 27 27 31 75141 Paris Cedex 03 fax: +33 (1) 40 27 27 72 France -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wwwsrvr.txt Subject: Ada WWW Server - comp.lang.ada #17876 Last Update: 24 March 1994 From article <1994Mar24.170427@di.epfl.ch>, Magnus.Kempe@di.epfl.ch (Magnus Kempe) writes: *** The Ada WWW Server *** is alive and heavily used. It is a hypertext information server for the Ada programming language, managed at the Software Engineering Lab of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland. In this message you will find an overview of the contents of the Ada WWW server, and some information on WWW and available browsers. Both parts have been updated since the first announcement was sent to comp.lang.ada. The URL of the Ada WWW Server is http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/ [and nothing else; don't forget the trailing '/'.] [If you have been informed of another, old URL, please throw it away. The URL indicated above is host-independent and will always be valid. Thank you. It is useless to try to FTP to this site; we do not (yet) provide anonymous FTP access.] The Ada WWW Server will continue to grow. All comments, ideas, and requests for additions or corrections, are welcome (e-mail to me, Magnus.Kempe@di.epfl.ch). In particular, I look forward to your contributions. What's on the server ? The Ada WWW Server provides Ada-related information and hypertext access in areas including: Historical notes on Ada - the Lady and the programming language References - hypertext LRM 83 and (draft hypertext of) Draft RM 9X; rationales State of Ada 9X revision process Standards Bindings Tools and Components Intellectual Ammunition - some facts about the language; Ada 9X; Ada in academia and industry; special interest groups; and debunking some myths Introductory Material - design goals and summary of the language; textbooks; "free" compilers Resources - software repositories; books and articles; list of validated compilers; cheap and "free" compilers; educational discounts; and CD-ROMs CS Technical Reports FTP Sites--and Mirrors Calendar of Ada-related events Ada Today - press releases; technical and other news Frequently Asked Questions--with Answers (from comp.lang.ada) For instance, you will find the list of schools using Ada in CS1 or CS2, an article on commercial success stories, information about software components, as well as hypertext versions of the Ada reference manual (both 83 and draft 9X). What is WWW ? The World Wide Web (WWW) is what Fortune Magazine ("The Internet And Your Business," March 7, 1994, pp. 86-96) recently called the "killer application" that will make the Internet indispensable to anyone in the 1990's just as the spreadsheet did for the PC in the 1980's. WWW is like a hypermedia encyclopedia. It is a database and communications protocol, multimedia, distributed, and hypertext, developed by researchers at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. Clicking on links takes the user from document to document, from site to site, world-wide. Mosaic is the name of an application which lets users navigate through the Internet and browse through the Web; this software --distributed free to anyone who requests it and available for Unix workstations, Macintosh systems, and MS Windows-- was developed at NCSA, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. WWW has also attracted attention from Business Week (two articles, March 28, 1994, pp. 170 and 180), Byte ("Data Highway," March 1994), Scientific American ("Wire Pirates," March 1994), German Der Spiegel, and British PC Week (March 15, 1994). WWW was recently featured on CNN's FutureWatch. WWW browsers are available for various systems. The Mosaic binaries are FTP-able from ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu in /Mosaic, /Mac/Mosaic, and /PC/Mosaic . Lynx is a full screen browser for vt100 terminals; precompiled binaries are available from ftp2.cc.ukans.edu in /lynx . Cello is a client for PCs running Windows, available from fatty.law.cornell.edu in /LII/Cello . W3 is an Emacs subsystem, available from cs.indiana.edu in /elisp/w3 . If you work on a Unix machine, WWW browsers might already be installed, so you may try to execute xmosaic http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/ or Mosaic http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/ (don't forget the trailing '/') For more information, read the WWW FAQ, always available in the news.answers archive on rtfm.mit.edu in /pub/usenet/news.answers/www.faq. -------------------------------------------- File: /archive/languages/ada/userdocs/alt_srcs/wwwstars.txt STARS WWW Home Page Last Update: 30 September 1994 The Software Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems (STARS) Program proudly announces its new home page on the World-Wide Web (WWW). Take the opportunity to find out what STARS (an ARPA sponsored program) is doing to change today's software development paradigm to one which emphasizes a process driven, domain specific reuse-based approach to software intensive systems. The STARS WWW server is located at the STARS Technology Center in Arlington, Virginia and is accessible via the Uniform Reference Locator (URL): http://www.stars.ballston.paramax.com/ Take the opportunity to look over our home page. You will find an overview of the STARS Program, STARS Newsletters and technical papers. You will also see several ways to interact with the STARS Program, including registering for our Demo Days, subscribing to the Newsletter, requesting program information, and providing comments on the home page itself. Let us know what you think. ======================================================= Subject: What Are Some Useful World Wide Web Home Pages? Last Update: September 30, 1994 Some useful World Wide Web Server home pages: Ada - http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/ PAL - http://web.cnam.fr/Languages/Ada/PAL/ http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~dirk/ada-belgium/ STARS - http://www.stars.ballston.paramax.com/ ======================================================= Subject: How Do I Work with PAL ZIP and MAC Binary Files from my MAC? Last Update: June 29, 1993 See the file mbin*.abs (a text file) in the PAL toolkit directory. There is a program for converting binary images in the PAL into Mac Binary format. There are also ZIP and UNZIP programs for the Mac. Thanks to Mike Feldman for his support in this matter. ======================================================= Subject: How Can I Submit an Item to the PAL? Last Update: December 6, 1993 Contact Richard Conn at conn@wuarchive.wustl.edu if you wish to submit an item to the PAL. Several different mechanisms are in place for making a submission, including direct FTP into the PAL (which is by far the easiest from my point of view). I will ask you to fill out an Item Description (ID) file which describes the item you are submitting. Once the item is on WUARCHIVE and I have your filled-out ID file, I can take it from there. Detailed submission instructions are in the file submit2.txt in the directory languages/ada/userdocs/faqfile.