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.RR--!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!-------------------!-R .po 5 ..po 1 .he ASR Newsletter, Issue 12, Oct 87 .fo Page # Ada (tm) Software Repository (ASR) Newsletter Issue 12, Oct 87 Richard Conn, Newsletter Editor Published by Echelon, Inc. THIS ISSUE I. Changes to the Operation of the Ada Software Repository ............ 2 Overview of Repository, Pointers to Answers to Common Questions, Statement of Operation, About the ADA-SW Mailing List, How to Find Things, Acquiring Magtape of Repository, Acquiring IBM PC Floppies of Repository, About the ASR Newsletter, About the ASR Master Index, and The Supporting Contractor of the ASR II. New Submissions to the ASR ........................................ 13 A. IEEE Recommended Practice for Ada as a PDL ...................... 13 B. Data Files ...................................................... 13 C. DoD-STD-1838 .................................................... 13 D. Porting Ada Software - Lessons Learned .......................... 14 E. SORTARRY Updated ................................................ 15 F. ASENTO Tools .................................................... 16 G. APSE and Ada Compiler Evaluation and Benchmarks ................. 18 H. Ada and GKS ..................................................... 19 I. Dimensional Units ............................................... 19 J. Hughes Tasking Benchmarks ....................................... 20 K. Validated Ada Compilers ......................................... 20 III. Ada Adoption Handbook from the Software Engineering Institute ..... 21 IV. NASA Space Station Ada Software Repository ........................ 24 V. ASR Newsletters and Information on BITNET ......................... 24 VI. Ada and OS/2 ...................................................... 25 VII. Changes in the Ada World .......................................... 29 VIII. Other Topics ...................................................... 32 A. Archive Server Shutdown ......................................... 32 B. PD Snapshot ..................................................... 32 C. VHDL Repository ................................................. 33 D. ASR Stats ....................................................... 33 E. Reporting Problems .............................................. 33 F. Export Restrictions on Ada ...................................... 34 G. Ada's Influence ................................................. 34 H. Math Functions Discussion ....................................... 35 SUPPLEMENT: A Supplement to this Newsletter, Concentrating on Ada Education, is available as ASR012.SUP in PD:<ADA.NEWS>. --------------------- NOTE: Statements made in this newsletter should generally be considered to be personal opinions of the individuals and not necessarily the opinions of the U.S. government or any specific company or organization. .pa ============================================================================== I. Changes to the Operation of the Ada Software Repository The operation of the Ada Software Repository (ASR) is undergoing several changes. First of all, the ASR is now being supported by a contractor to White Sands (Management Assistance Corporation of America, or MACA for short). MACA will publish the newsletter, the master index, handle the tape distribution, handle telephone requests for information, and provide support personnel to help out with various aspects of the ASR operation. This is the last issue of the ASR Newsletter to be published by Echelon, Inc. I would like to thank the people of Echelon for their support over these twelve issues of the ASR Newsletter. I have purposely held up release of this 12th issue pending completion of the integration of MACA and the other changes to the ASR operation. Those who have paid their $16.00 for the hardcopy distribution of the ASR Newsletter from Echelon have paid for 12 issues, and this issue completes Echelon's obligation. Contact MACA to obtain a subscription to future issues of the ASR Newsletter. Secondly, the ASR operation is extending to other organizations. Navajo Technology corporation has been handling the ANSI tape distribution of the ASR for some time, and MACA will now take part of the tape distribution role previously played by personnel at SIMTEL20. Floppy disk distribution has been added (in part), and C2MUG and SIG/M are taking on this role. Other Ada Software Repositories are coming into existence, such as the NASA Ada Software Repository for the Space Station, and we at the ASR are lending support to them (see the article in this issue). As even more functionality is added, I will keep you posted via the newsletters and the ADA-SW email list. Rick Conn Manager, Ada Software Repository This document contains the following files: FILE CONTENTS -------------------------------- --------- PD:<ADA.GENERAL>ADAREPOS.DOC Overview of Repository PD:<ADA.GENERAL>AAREAD.ME Pointers to Answers to Common Questions PD:<ADA.GENERAL>OPERATE.DOC Statement of Operation PD:<ADA.GENERAL>MLIST.DOC About the ADA-SW Mailing List PD:<ADA.GENERAL>FINDME.DOC How to Find Things PD:<ADA.GENERAL>TAPEDIST.DOC Acquiring Magtape of Repository PD:<ADA.GENERAL>FLOPDIST.DOC Acquiring IBM PC Floppies of Repository PD:<ADA.GENERAL>NEWSLTR.DOC About the ASR Newsletter PD:<ADA.GENERAL>INDEX.DOC About the ASR Master Index PD:<ADA.GENERAL>ASRSUPP.DOC The Supporting Contractor of the ASR .pa ----> ADAREPOS.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- THE ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY (ASR) ON SIMTEL20 A repository of Ada programs, software components, and educational material has been established on the SIMTEL20 host computer on the Defense Data Network. This repository has been accessible to any host computer on the network since November 26, 1984. This repository provides a free source for Ada programs and information. By employing the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program, users of DDN hosts are able to scan the directories of the repository and transfer files to their hosts. If the files are Ada programs, they may then compile these programs and use them as they desire. Modifying these programs may be within their rights, and they may freely distribute these programs within and without the DoD as they desire, subject to the restrictions specified for each piece of software in its prologue. The Ada Software Repository is divided into several subdirectories. These directories are organized by topic, and their names and a brief overview of their topics are contained in the file DIRLIST.DOC in PD:<ADA.GENERAL>. The Ada Software Repository on SIMTEL20 serves two basic roles: to promote the exchange and use (reusability) of Ada programs and tools (including components) and to promote Ada education (especially by providing several working examples of programs in source form for people to study and modify). All members of the Ada community are encouraged to freely extract information and programs from the repository as well as make contributions to it. The only restrictions which apply to the access and use of this software are presented in the "Distribution and Copyright" section of the prologue associated with each piece of software. ----> AAREAD.ME, Version 1.0 <---- ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY ON SIMTEL20 COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWERS The following is a collection of questions and the names of files which contain complete or partial answers to these questions. Unless otherwise noted, these files are contained in PD:<ADA.GENERAL>. QUESTION FILES 1. What is the Ada Repository on SIMTEL20? ADAREPOS.DOC, AAREAD.ME WELCOME.PRO 2. How do I Access the Ada Repository? FTP.DOC, UUCPBIT.DOC TAPEDIST.DOC, FLOPDIST.DOC, FTPDIST.DOC 3. How do I Find Out What is in the Ada Repository? FINDME.DOC, MLIST.DOC DIRLIST.DOC,NEWSLTR.DOC INDEX.DOC 4. How do I Submit Software and other Items to the Ada Repository? How do I Modify and Resubmit Software that is already in the Ada Repository? SUBMIT.DOC,CHECKOUT.DOC 5. How do I Contact the Repository Maintainer and other Users of the Repository? MLIST.DOC 6. How do I get Started with Using the Ada Repository? WELCOME.DOC, MLIST.DOC INDEX.DOC, NAMING.DOC 7. How do I Contact the Authors of Software in the Ada Repository? PROLOGUE.DOC,SUBMIT.DOC ----> OPERATE.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- STATEMENT OF OPERATION - ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY The Ada Software Repository is a public-domain collection of Ada software and information. The Ada Software Repository is one of several repositories located on the SIMTEL20 Defense Data Network host computer at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. SIMTEL20 is owned and operated by the Operations and Systems Integration Division of the Information Systems Command of the US Army. The Ada Software Repository is sponsored by the Operations and Systems Integration Division at White Sands Missile Range with additional funding provided by the STARS (Software Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems) Joint Program Office at the Pentagon. Disclaimer ---------- All software, documentation, and other items of information in the Ada Software Repository are in the public domain. These software, documentation, and information files are provided "AS IS" and without any expressed or implied warranties whatsoever. No warranties as to performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose exist. Because of the diversity of conditions and hardware 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 thoroughly before relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk and liability of using this software. In no event shall any person or organization of people be held responsible for any direct, indirect, consequential or inconsequential damages or lost profits. ----> MLIST.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- ADA-SW ELECTRONIC MAILING LIST An electronic mailing list exists for those who are interested in accessing and contributing software to the Ada Repository on SIMTEL20. To subscribe to this mailing list, send a request via electronic mail to: ADA-SW-REQUEST@SIMTEL20.ARPA After you have been logged into the repository's mailing list, you will receive a welcome message which provides introductory information on how to access the repository. The mailing list serves two purposes: to help exchange information between the repository users and to mail repository submissions to the maintainer of the Ada Software Repository for inclusion in the archives. PS:<ARCHIVES.ADA-SW>ADA-SW-ARCHIV.TXT contains all recent messages passed over the ADA-SW mailing list. New users on the list are invited to get a copy of this file and scan it for background; older users may use it for reference. In either case, a WARNING: this is a BIG file! PS:<ARCHIVES.ADA-SW>ADA- SW.ARCHIVE.ymmdd contains older messages by year/month. A hardcopy newsletter and other hardcopy documentation on the Ada Software Repository are published by Management Assistance Corporation of America (MACA). Contact MACA for details: MACA PO Drawer 100 - Building T148 White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico 88002 Phone: 505/678-3288 If you phone, ask for Janet McKellar, David Moon, or Mannie Gamez. .pa ADA-SW ADDRESSES ---------------- If you wish to send a message to the entire ADA-SW reading list, address your message to: ADA-SW@SIMTEL20.ARPA If you wish to discuss an administrative matter, such as changing your mailing address on the ADA-SW email list, address your message to: ADA-SW-REQUEST@SIMTEL20.ARPA IF YOU SEND A MESSAGE TO ADA-SW, PLEASE REALIZE THAT YOUR MESSAGE WILL GO TO ALL THE READERS OF ADA-SW (THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE). USE THE ADA-SW ADDRESS WISELY -- DO NOT SEND ITEMS, SUCH AS YOUR ADDRESS CHANGES, TO ADA-SW IF THEY ARE NOT OF GENERAL INTEREST TO THE READERS. THE ADA-SW-REQUEST ADDRESS IS FOR ADDRESS CHANGES AND THE LIKE. ----> FINDME.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- HOW TO FIND THINGS IN THE ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY ON SIMTEL20 The contents of the Ada Software Repository are organized in a number of different ways to make finding software and documentation easier for the user of the repository. The following summarizes the information sources. WELCOME MESSAGE The Welcome Message is a text file which is sent to all new subscribers to the ADA-SW electronic mailing list. This message contains introductory material on the Ada Software Repository, the operation and use of the Ada Software Repository, and the Defense Data Network. The Welcome Message is stored in PD:<ADA.GENERAL>WELCOME.DOC. SIMPLE DIRECTORY DISPLAYS FTP can provide most users with a directory display of all files in any of the archives in the Ada Software Repository. See the following files for more information: PD:<ADA.GENERAL>ADAREPOS.DOC -- general info on repository contents PD:<ADA.GENERAL>AAREAD.ME -- archive structures PD:<ADA.GENERAL>DIRLIST.DOC -- list of subdirectories PD:<ADA.GENERAL>FTPDIST.DOC PD:<ADA.GENERAL>FTP.DOC PD:<ADA.GENERAL>FTP1.DOC PD:<ADA.GENERAL>FTP2.DOC -- introduction to FTP and file transfer ONLINE DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM The directory PD:<ADA.ONLINE-DOC> contains the source code (in Ada), instructions, and data base for the online documentation system. You can copy all of these files over to your host computer, compile the programs, and then run them to query the data base, which gives you data on each directory in the repository. This data includes a brief description of the directory, a listing of its contents with file sizes, and descriptions of each program and piece of software in the directory. The data base may be copied from SIMTEL20 from time to time as more software is added to the repository. NEWSLETTERS Newsletters are available in electronic form and placed in the directory PD:<ADA.NEWS>. They are also available in hardcopy form. See the file PD:<ADA.GENERAL>NEWSLTR.DOC for details. MASTER INDEX A Master Index of all software and information in the Ada Software Repository is a 300+ page loose-leaf book is updated periodically as the repository grows. See the file PD:<ADA.GENERAL>INDEX.DOC for details. PROLOGUE FILES Each piece of software has an associated PROLOGUE file of type PRO (eg, SAFEIO.PRO) which contains the Ada Software Repository standard header. See the file PD:<ADA.GENERAL>PROLOGUE.DOC for more information. GENERAL The files in PD:<ADA.GENERAL> contain information on what is in the Ada Software Repository, how to access and use the Ada Software Repository, and other items of interest to the community. TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE Questions about the Ada Software Repository may be answered by contacting the support contractor; see the file PD:<ADA.GENERAL>ASRSUPP.DOC for details. .pa ----> TAPEDIST.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY AVAILABLE ON TAPE Tape copies of the Ada Software Repository are available on 9 Track, 1600 and 6250 BPI magtapes in the following formats from the indicated companies: Format Contact ------ ------- TOPS-20 DUMPER Management Assistance Corporation of America (MACA) TOPS-10 INTERCHANGE MACA UNIX TAR MACA ANSI Navajo Technology (1600 BPI only) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Formats from MACA -- 9 Track, 1600 and 6250 BPI Tape Formats Supported: TOPS-20 DUMPER TOPS-10 INTERCHANGE UNIX TAR Charge by MACA: None Instructions: (1) Send 3 tapes, a stamped, self-addressed mailing label, and a short, informal cover letter stating that you would like a copy of this collection and specifying the format. Personnel at White Sands will copy to the tapes as they have time and mail them back to you. (2) Please use the following address to send your tapes. Send a completed UPS Collect or Federal Express Collect form to cover payment of postage. The address is: MACA Attn: Janet McKellar PO Drawer 100 - Building T148 White Sands Missile Range, NM 88002 (3) Status of tape requests made to MACA can be determined by contacting MACA at 505/678-3288. Ask for Janet McKellar, David Moon, or Mannie Gamez. Their hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM MST. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Formats from Navajo Technology -- 9 Track, 1600 BPI Formats Supported: ANSI Charge by Navajo Technology: $200.00 for 3 tapes; this includes tape copying charges, the tapes themselves, and shipping Instructions: (1) Mail your requests to the following address: Navajo Technology Corporation Navajo Nation Box 100 Leupp, AZ 86035 (2) Other lower prices can be negotiated if you supply the tapes to Navajo Technology. Navajo Technology also offers additional services and products, including guest accounts on their computers and assistance in bringing up software from the Ada Software Repository. Contact Navajo Technology for details. (3) Status of tape requests to Navajo Technology and other questions can be answered by contacting Navajo Technology at 602/686-6391. Ask for Vince Bia or Tom Ryan. Their hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MST. ----> FLOPDIST.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY AVAILABLE ON IBM PC FLOPPIES Parts of the Ada Software Repository are available on IBM PC compatible floppy disks. The following organizations are providing this service: Organization For Whom Service is Provided ------------ ---------------------------- C2MUG, Fort Leavenworth, KS All echelons within the DoD and the US Federal Government SIG/M, ACGNJ, NJ Anyone Descriptions of these services follow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. C2MUG, Fort Leavenworth, KS C2MUG (Command and Control Microcomputer User's Group) provides a forum of the exchange of ideas and public domain software between microcomputer users, keying on command and control applications. C2MUG provides a focal point for microcomputer users throughout the US Army, and it is sponsored by the Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM). The staff of C2MUG is located at the CECOM Maneuver Control Directorate, Building 138, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. C2MUG provides a continuing forum whereby users can: - learn of the latest command and control efforts - participate in contributing ideas and software - seek solutions to microcomputer software problems - learn more about micros relating to their military work environment - receive a free bi-monthly newsletter - receive a free semi-annual software catalog - receive copies of public domain software in exchange for blank floppy diskettes - attend an annual microcomputer seminar - have access to an Electronic Bulletin Board C2MUG provides assistance to its users through a full-time staff. The staff assists with software problems either directly, by referral to another user with the desired background/expertise, or through Requests for Assistance in the monthly newsletter and/or on the Electronic Bulletin Board. Available software consists of over 500 programs, primarily for use with the Apple II Plus/IIe/IIc and IBM PC and compatibles. Some programs are also available for the Kaypro 2, Zenith Z-100/Z-120, and Wang. C2MUG offers its services to all echelons within the US Army community, the sister military services, and elements of the Federal Government. There is no cost or obligation associated with joining C2MUG, and the services (including the newsletter, catalog, and public domain software copying) are free. For more information, contact C2MUG: Department of the Army CECOM MCSD Attn: AMSEL-RD-LC-MC (C2MUG) Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 66027-5600 Phone: AV 552-7550, FTS 753-7550, Commercial 913/684-7550 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. SIG/M, ACGNJ, New Jersey This service is not yet available. Details will be filled in later. ----> NEWSLTR.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY NEWSLETTER The Ada Software Repository (ASR) newsletter is published in both electronic form and hardcopy form: 1) Users of the ASR may freely transfer copies of the newsletter from PD:<ADA.NEWS> via FTP (the newsletters are in the files matching ASR*.DOC). 2) The newsletters are available in electronic form on IBM PC diskettes (see the file PD:<ADA.GENERAL>FLOPDIST.DOC for details). 3) The tape distribution of the ASR (see the file PD:<ADA.GENERAL>TAPEDIST.DOC) includes the newsletters. 4) A hardcopy mailing of the newsletter is available from the ASR support contractor (see the file ASRSUPP.DOC in the directory PD:<ADA.GENERAL>). Hardcopy subscription to the ASR newsletter is free to all elements of the US Government; the cost to others for a hardcopy subscription to the ASR Newsletter is $16 for 12 copies. ----> INDEX.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY MASTER INDEX The Master Index of the Ada Software Repository (ASR) is a loose-leaf book which contains details on the software and information in the ASR. Each item of software is described by an abstract, information on the host compiler/operating system and target environment, and a listing of all associated files and their locations in the ASR. Each item of information is described by an abstract and a listing of all associated files. The Master Index breaks down the ASR into the following major categories, each presented as separate chapters: o ASR-Specific Information and Programs o Artificial Intelligence o Benchmarks o Communications o Reusable Software Components o Data Base Management o Documentation o Graphics o Project Management o Ada Software Development Tools o Other Tools o the WIS Ada Tool Set Selected items of information from the ASR are included in the Master Index. These items include the Welcome Message, which gives an extensive introduction to the Ada Software Repository (its operation and use) and the Defense Data Network (with emphasis on the use of FTP to transfer files from the archives on SIMTEL20). Appendices include (1) a Snapshot of the ASR (ADA.SNP) which names each directory of the ASR and gives the total size of its contents in terms of bytes and lines of code, (2) a listing of all files in each directory of the ASR with file sizes and CRC data (ADA.CRCLST), and (3) a listing of all files in each directory of the ASR with file sizes, line counts, and PAGER hashes (ADA.RPT). The Master Index includes a complete table of contents, which is helpful in quickly locating specific items of interest, and an extensive index. The first publication of the Master Index exceeded 300 pages in size. As the ASR grows, updates to the Master Index will be issued. The loose- leaf format of the Master Index was selected to facilite the update process and to permit the users to assemble the Master Index and the ASR Newsletters conveniently in loose-leaf notebooks. The Master Index and its updates are available through the ASR support contractor. See the file PD:<ADA.GENERAL>ASRSUPP.DOC for details on how to contact this contractor. The Master Index is free to all elements of the US Government; the purchase price of the Master Index to others is $50.00 (not including updates). Updates are also free to all elements of the US Government, and their prices to others will be determined as they are released. ----> ASRSUPP.DOC, Version 1.0 <---- ADA SOFTWARE REPOSITORY SUPPORT CONTRACTOR The Management Assistance Corporation of America (MACA) provides support to the user community of the Ada Software Repository (ASR) on SIMTEL20. This support includes: (1) hardcopy distribution of the ASR Newsletter to any interested parties (government-related or otherwise), (2) hardcopy distribution of updates to the ASR Master Index to any interested parties, (3) telephone assistance to those users who wish to locate items in the ASR, including information on the availability of items through the IBM PC diskette distribution handled by C2MUG and SIG/M, and (4) telephone assistance to those users who wish to determine the status of the magtape requests they have made which are processed through MACA at White Sands. To contact MACA in order to be placed on one or both of the distributions or to request assistance, phone 505/678-3288 between the hours of 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM MST. Ask for Janet McKellar, David Moon, or Mannie Gamez. You may also write to MACA at the following address: MACA PO Drawer 100 - Building T148 White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico 88002 .pa ============================================================================== II. New Submissions to the ASR A. IEEE Recommended Practice for Ada as a PDL Date: Mon, 27 Apr 87 06:21:46 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: IEEE RP on Ada as a PDL Thanks to Cammie Donaldson for sending the text of this IEEE Standard to the net. IEEEE Standard 990-1987 is now in the ASR: PD:<ADA.POINTERS> Bytes(SZ) IEEEPDL.TXT.1 14332(7) IEEE Recommended Practice for Ada as a Program Design Language IEEE Std 990-1987 1.1 Scope. This document provides recommendations reflecting the state of the art and alternate approaches to good practice for characteristics of Program Design Languages (PDLs) based on the syntax and semantics of the Ada Programming Language. In this recommended practice, these are referred to as Ada PDLs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. Data Files Date: Wed, 27 May 87 06:45:16 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Data file updates The following files have been updated in PD:<ADA.POINTERS>. In particular, the COMPILERS.INF file is dated 1 May and lists 78 validated Ada compilers. ADAPLANS.INF is dated 11 Mar and has grown since the last update (ADAPLANS lists planned Ada compilers). PD:<ADA.POINTERS> Bytes(SZ) ADAPLANS.INF.7 45155(7) -- Planned Ada compilers CAISSTAT.INF.4 3572(7) -- Current status of MIL-STD-CAIS COMPILERS.INF.12 44045(7) -- Current Validated Ada Compiler List CONTACTS.INF.4 4127(7) -- Contacts for Ada Information ISO.INF.4 8759(7) -- ISO update and status --------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. DoD-STD-1838 Date: Wed, 27 May 87 08:56:52 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: DoD-STD-1838 (CAIS) Delivery DoD-STD-1838 (also referred to as MIL-STD-CAIS, where CAIS is the Common APSE [Ada Programming Support Environment] Interface Set) is to be delivered today (5/27/87) to the Ada Joint Program Office. Publication should be completed and DoD-STD-1838 should be available to the general public in hardcopy form in the next few months. There will probably be an announcement on ADA-SW and in the ASR Newsletter and other Ada-oriented newsletters when the standard is available. Thanks to Patricia Oberndorf and the KAPSE Interface Teams (KIT and KITIA) for the enormous amount of effort they devoted to this project. The following is extracted from CAISSTAT.INF in PD:<ADA.POINTERS>: "The recommended changes to the January 1985 version of the proposed MIL-STD CAIS have been unanimously approved by the CAIS Standardization Working Group. These changes were developed in direct response to the formal MIL-STD comment process (discussed in the May AdaIC newsletter), input from prototype implementers, and informal comments from the government, industry, and international Ada communities. "The Standardization Working Group recommended the revised CAIS be adopted as DoD-STD 1838. This is a significant milestone for the Ada language, which is the culmination of much effort by the KAPSE Interface Teams (KIT and KITIA). "The standard should be available towards the end of the 1st calendar quarter of 1987. The next Ada IC newsletter, as well as Ada Today, will contain instructions on how and where to obtain this DoD-STD." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. Porting Ada Software - Lessons Learned Date: Thu, 28 May 87 06:30:49 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Lessons learned on porting Ada software The file PORT1.DOC has been added to PD:<ADA.EDUCATION>. This paper is a "lessons learned" report by Honeywell on porting a major Ada application. Thanks to Lt Col Falgiano and the authors for this submission. Details follow. Subject: Major Ada porting technical report Date: Fri, 15 May 87 08:25:36 EDT From: Lt Col Francis L Falgiano III <falgiano@mitre.ARPA> The following is a paper presented at the WWMCCS application and systems software committe meeting. The authors want to share some of their experiences with other Ada users. TRANSPORTING A MAJOR ADA APPLICATION Prepared by: Joe Tenney Don Whiteley Honeywell Federal Systems Inc. I. MIMS REHOSTING PROJECT << Abstract of the Introduction Follows >> On 25 November l986, Honeywell Federal Systems Division and the Headquarters Strategic Air Command Airborne Division (Offutt AFB, NE), agreed to attempt porting the Mobile Information Management System (MIMS) to a Honeywell DPS90 platform. The release of the MIMS software package to Honeywell was projected to accrue benefit to the government by gaining experience in porting Ada code, demonstrating the protability of mission-critical command and control software, and the usability of Honeywell's Ada environment. MIMS is a full featured relational information management system written entirely in the Ada programming language and containing 66,000 plus lines of code (25,000+ lines of Ada source statements). It is being developed to provide a productive environment for the development of battle management application programms to support SAC's Post Attack Command and Control System (PACCS). It provides the capability to describe and manipulate data as relations, without user concern for physical links and pointers. It also provides the capability to write applications programs using either Ada or a fourth-generation data management language patterned after ANSI standard SQL. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- E. SORTARRY Updated Date: Tue, 2 Jun 87 06:29:51 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: SORTARRY updated Geoff Mendal of Stanford has updated his SORTARRY package. It is now in the ASR as SORTARRY.ADA in PD:<ADA.COMPONENTS>. For those interested in ANNA, ANNA annotations are included in the package. Thanks to Geoff for his submission. PD:<ADA.COMPONENTS> Bytes(SZ) SORTARRY.ADA.4 62225(7) .CMM.1 638(7) .PRO.3 3380(7) Author : Geoffrey O. Mendal : Stanford University : Computer Systems Laboratory, ERL 456 Machine/System Compiled/Run on : DG MV10000, ROLM ADE VAX 11/780, DEC ACS RATIONAL R1000 SEQUENT B21000, VERDIX VADS SUN/3, VERDIX VADS Sort_Utilities is a generic sorting package. The Sort subprograms will sort a one dimensional array of any component type that supports assignment, equality, and inequality (private types) indexed by discrete type components. The default linear order is ascending order but may be overridden by the user. The default sort algorithm, Quicksort (non-recursive), may also be overridden. Available sort algorithms: Quicksort: O(NlogN). Is most efficient when used with large, unsorted arrays. Uses an explicit stack to maintain state and partitions. Instable. This is the default algorithm. Recursive_Quicksort: O(NlogN). Is most efficient when used with large, unsorted arrays. Recursive nature may introduce significant memory overhead for very large arrays. Instable. Bsort: O(NlogN). Is most efficient when used with large arrays that are already sorted, partially sorted, or sorted in reverse. Recursive. Instable. Bubble_Sort: O(N**2). Is most efficient when used with small arrays that are almost already sorted. Non-recursive. Brute force. Low memory requirements. Stable. Bubble_Sort_with_Quick_Exit: O(N**2). Is most efficient when used with small arrays that are almost already sorted. Non-recursive. Same as bubble sort above except brute force is limited. Stable. Selection_Sort: O(N**2). Is most efficient when used with small arrays in which the Component_Type is a record type. Non-recursive. Brute force. Instable. Heapsort: O(NlogN). Is most efficient when used with large, unsorted arrays. Non-recursive. Very low memory requirements. Instable. Insertion_Sort: O(N**2). Is most efficient when used with small arrays that are almost already sorted. Non- recursive. Brute force. Stable. Merge_Sort: O(NlogN). Is most efficient when used with medium-large arrays. Non-recursive. Instable. Uses an auxiliary array to perform merging. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- F. ASENTO Tools Message 1: Date: 10 Jun 87 09:11:01 GMT From: mcvax!enea!tut!hmj@seismo.css.gov (Matti J{rvinen) Organization: Tampere University of Technology, Finland Subject: Ada tools available for test use Project ASENTO (Ada Software ENgineering TOols) at Tampere University of Technology produced two Ada programs, Yacca and Adaface. If you'd like to get these programs for educational or research use and act as a test site of these programs, read further. Costs: costs of media. Too large to send by e-mail. Yacca is a yacc generator written in Ada and producing Ada code. The input syntax is same as of the original yacc with some extra key words. Action parts are naturally in Ada. To send you a copy of yacca, we have to get a copy of the signature page of your Software Agreement with AT & T. Adaface, Ada interface, is a tiny Ada interpreter (about Pascal-level). The idea is to connect the interpreter with your application by an interface generator. The input of the generator is visible parts of the application's specifications. All visible subprograms and variables can be accessed by the interpreter except ones having limited types as parameters. NOTE: The product is NOT an Ada interpreter. It is designed to be a command interpreter and many features of Ada are missing. BUT: you can run simplified Ada code (almost everything except packages, generics and tasking) declare variables, procedures and functions, even overload subprograms. The supposed use of the tool is to ease making interfaces for Ada programs (windowing interface as well as normal line-oriented one is supported) and to make a testing interface for modules quickly. The interfaces supported includes journal files (all input go there), possibility to recover aborted execution using journal files, a log file of the session or parts of it and possibility to run command files. Also an initializing file exists, so procedures can be loaded in automatically. When procedures work as supposed (their functions may be difficult to predestinate for interactive applications), they can be compiled in to speed up the application. Third tool, Adator, is an experimental one. It uses the two previous ones and acts as a testing environment for them. Adator is an Ada syntax editor. The source code is kept in buffers, and it (or parts of it) can be checked to find out syntax errors. If a syntax error is found, cursor is set to the first erroneous point. If you are interested on any of above, contact me. The English documentation will never be as detailed as the Finnish one, but it is enough to use the programs (I hope). Anyway, comments in the source code are all in English. Hannu-Matti Jarvinen, Tampere University of Technology, Finland Project EAST - European Advanced Software Technology hmj@tut.fi, hmj@tut.uucp, hmj@tut.funet (tut.ARPA is not the same computer). Message 2: From: mcvax!tut.fi!hmj@seismo.CSS.GOV (Hannu-Matti J{rvinen) Date: Tue, 23 Jun 87 15:45:22 +0200 Subject: ASENTO Tools Dear Colleagues, I've got quite amount of mail from people interested in ASENTO tools. Several questions have arisen and I try to answer them to all of you: 1) This far I've got twice or thrice as much responses to my posting of ASENTO tools than I expected. For that reason, I do not want to get your tapes and send them back. It would mess the procedure completely. 2) The tools are distributed for test use. We attempt to make them better and more suitable for "end user", but this distribution is exclusively for testing purposes. The tester is supposed to: - report immediately if errors are found (included documentation and installation guides). - make a suggestion of further development within six months - not to use it as a part of a product without separate agreement - tell any third party that this version is a test one, if a reference to the software is made. 3) The software is NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN. We offer it free for testing, but we expect to get some response from the testers. 4) We haven't checked possibilities to give commercial licenses (yet). We will decide after test period (6 months), if the software is worth of additional work. All those responses I got from you indicate that there are interest on tools like these. I have an impression that commercial license may be available at the begin of next year. This is not a promise. 5) YACCA is translated from C-code to Ada with some enchantments. We asked AT&T what requirements are needed to distribute it. There answer was very short: Software Agreement with AT&T. I do not know if that means object or source code license. Does anybody of you? The Finnish law admits me to send the whole stuff without any license, but as many of you are from the USA, I think we should follow the US law. At the moment we send source code. Later we will send binaries, so obviously binary license will be sufficient later on. I do not know if Berkeley license is enough. I hope somebody from the States can answer that question. Adaface does not have any licensing problems. 6) We can send the software on 1/2" tape, 300 feet, 1600 bpi, tar or cpio format. 7) Costs: US $50 or equivalent. Payment on cheque addressed to "Tampere University of Technology". On cheque there should be a reference to me (Hannu-Matti Jarvinen). 8) The English documentation is about 17 pages for Adaface and 12 pages for YACCA. I hope it is enough. 9) My postal address is: Tampere University of Technology Research Institute for Information Technology Hannu-Matti Jarvinen P.O.Box 527 33101 Tampere Finland 10) To make things easy, I include me-format agreement at the and of this letter. To format it, use command "tbl file | troff -me". If you can not print it, I will send you a paper copy. Return the sheet to address given above. I hope I've answered the most important questions. If I missed something, do not hesitate to contact me again. I am sorry not to send you more detailed description of the products, but this mail would become far too long. Regards, Hannu-Matti Jarvinen hmj@tut.fi, hmj@tut.uucp --------------------------------------------------------------------------- G. APSE and Ada Compiler Evaluation and Benchmarks Date: Mon, 13 Jul 87 19:52:35 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: New Submissions to the ASR The following submissions to the ASR are posted: PD:<ADA.POINTERS> Bytes(SZ) APSEEVAL.INF.1 39521(7) -- This file contains "Generic APSE Evaluation Questions" by Paul Dobbs of General Dynamics for the E&V Team PD:<ADA.POINTERS> Bytes(SZ) COMPEVAL.INF.1 61019(7) -- This file contains "Evaluation Criteria for Ada Compilers" by Elizabeth Kean of RADC for the E&V Team PD:<ADA.BENCHMARKS> Bytes(SZ) ADAFAIR85.CMM.1 3978(7) .DOC.1 241861(7) .PRO.1 2094(7) .SRC.1 243002(7) -- This file contains the LA AdaTEC Ada Fair '85 tests/benchmarks PD:<ADA.BENCHMARKS> Bytes(SZ) SRITESTS.DOC.1 106035(7) .PRO.1 1912(7) .SRC.1 108160(7) -- This file contains a suite of tasking benchmarks by SRI -------------------------------------------------------------------------- H. Ada and GKS Date: Sun, 30 Aug 87 07:13:24 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Re: Ada and GKS We also have an older version of GKS in Ada in the Ada Software Repository and are holding a newer version pending the upgrade of the disks on SIMTEL20 (which is supposed to happen in October). We are holding a lot of software pending this upgrade, but a few small items will trickle in today (there were already on SIMTEL20 and their review has been completed now). Rick --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Dimensional Units Date: Mon, 31 Aug 87 04:47:34 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: DIMENSIONAL_UNITS released Thanks to "Do-While Jones" for his submission of the following item. DIMENSIONAL_UNITS Machine/System Compiled/Run on : DEC Ada on VAX APLEX (Telegen 2) on Gould 32/97 running MPX Keywords : Dimensional Units Abstract : This package provides useful parent types for derived dimensional units. That is, it makes it possible to do this: type Feet is new Integer_Unit; type Radians is new Float_Unit; Objects of type Feet can be added together, but can't be multiplied together to get a result in feet. See Dr. Dobb's Journal of Software Tools issue #127 (May 1987) page 50 for a complete description of how to use this package. Associated files: PD:<ADA.COMPONENTS> Bytes(SZ) DUNIT.CMM.1 184(7) .PRO.1 3041(7) .SRC.1 29965(7) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- J. Hughes Tasking Benchmarks Date: Mon, 31 Aug 87 05:09:56 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Tasking Benchmarks released Thanks to Thomas Burger of Telesoft and Kjell Nielsen of Hughes Aircraft Company for the following tasking benchmarks. Machine/System Compiled/Run on : DEC Ada (Version 1.2) on a VAX 8600 Keywords : tasking, tasking benchmarks, tasking overhead Abstract : A set of tasking benchmarks were developed in conjunction with the paper "An Assessment of the Overhead Associated with Tasking Facilities and Task Paradigms in Ada" which appeared in the January,February 1987 Ada Letters. These benchmarks were developed to measure the efficiency of the implementation of the Ada tasking model, and evaluate the additional cost of introducing intermediaries for the various tasking paradigms. Associated files: PD:<ADA.BENCHMARKS> Bytes(SZ) TASKING.DOC.1 110056(7) .PRO.1 3008(7) .SRC.1 66865(7) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- K. Validated Ada Compilers Date: Mon, 14 Sep 87 06:33:37 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: List of validated Ada compilers updated PD:<ADA.POINTERS> Bytes(SZ) COMPILERS.INF.16 69632(7) This lists 137 validated Ada compilers. .pa ============================================================================== III. Ada Adoption Handbook from the Software Engineering Institute Date: Wed, 5 Aug 87 06:14:34 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Re: new project Scott, Re your question about using Ada as the design language and the implementation language for a new project, you might be interested in getting a copy of "Ada Adoption Handbook: A Program Manager's Guide", Version 1.0, SEI Technical Report CMU/SEI-87-TR-9, ESD-TR-87-110, May 1987 by John Foreman and John Goodenough of the Software Engineering Institute. Contact the SEI JPO at 412/268-7630 for details (this document is free). The PMG, while distinctly biased toward the DoD Ada effort, contains many reasonable answers to questions commonly raised about adopting Ada for use on a project. I feel that the PMG does a good job in identifying the issues, providing possible answers to the questions commonly raised (altho I may take issue with some of the answers, the SEI should be commended for making the effort to create the PMG and going on the line with their opinions), and providing pointers to help you in answering your questions to your own satisfaction. An outline of the PMG: 1. Introduction 2. Program Manager Considerations (costs, Technical issues, program control, getting help) 3. The Need for Ada 4. Software Production Technology (terms, Ada compilers, programming support environments, forecast) 5. Ada Maturity and Applicability (action plans for various situations, use of Ada on embedded processors, use of Ada for real-time systems, use of Ada for distriubted systems) 6. Special-purpose languages 7. Mixing Ada with other languages 8. Software Reuse and Ada 9. Learning Ada: Training Implications I. Ada Working Groups and Agencies II. Programs Using Ada (Army, Navy, Air Force, commercial, IR&D) III. Ada Textbooks IV. Ada Compilers for target processors You may also want to look at some of the documentation in the Ada Software Repository, particularly the files in PD:<ADA.EDUCATION> on Ada programming notes (PNOTE*.DOC), common Ada programming errors (PROGERRS.DOC), technical reports from live Ada projects with productivity information and "lessons learned" (ADASOFTR.DOC and TITR.DOC), the lists of Ada texts (TEXTBOOKS.DOC and TEXTS.DOC), and the files in PD:<ADA.POINTERS> (which contains lists of validated Ada compilers, planned Ada compilers, and information on various DoD and SIGAda programs/projects). Rick .pa Date: Mon 17 Aug 87 16:39:54-PDT From: SWONG@ADA20.ISI.EDU Subject: ADA PDL Some comments of Ada PDL as mentioned in Ada Adoption Handbook, p.9. Dick: You have recommended the Ada Adoption book in response to a querry from Cothrell@DOCKMASTER.ARPA regarding Ada PDL. I have just read this book from end to end and I think that it is an excellent choice. Unfortunately, the question of Ada as PDL is buried in p. 9 in the form of an answer to a question and did not show up in the table of contents. While I agree with most of what the authors said, I think that perhaps some of the so called disadvantages should be weighed against possible alternatives. The following are some observations. 1. There are really two parts to Ada as PDL. The MIL-STD 1815A portion that unambiguously document the design decisions and the (structured) comments that explain rationale and other (supposedly useful) project information. 2. If the implementation language is C, using C as PDL would be a somewhat gruesome alternative. IEEE Ada PDL guideline does recommend the use of a subset of Ada that fits the implementation language to minimize translation problems. The book suggests Ada PDL should be full, compilable Ada. I think that the word "full" should be deleted because elsewhere in the book, such as on tasking, the authors suggested that the use of inefficient Ada constructs be avoided under certain circumstances. As long as the subset chosen is compilable Ada by a validated Ada compiler, the options are open to eventually implement with Ada, albeit certain features of Ada are not used. 3. Since there is no DoD rule against Ada PDL that is a subset of Ada, for a specific target language, it only require the definition of what is the subset and what is a mapping to the target language. This mapping is really language translation but is not as dangerous as the authors suggested for the general case. 4. According to John Goodenough, a secondary standard such as a variable string package can be pushed somewhat easier. Accordingly, an Ada subset PDL for C or PLM can be pushed through, provided if there is some concensus of opinions. It seems to me that the ARPA mail system can be used effectively for a few volunteers to come up with the definitions in a relatively short order. If you are interested to wave the flags, count me in as one of your serfs. S.Y. (Sy) Wong, 8/17/87 .pa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Friday, 18 September 1987 23:36:15 EDT From: John.Foreman@sei.cmu.edu Subject: ada adoption handbook Any comments about the "Ada Adoption Handbook: A Program Manager's Guide", Version 1.0, produced by the Software Engineering Institute (previously announced on this list) can be sent electronically to: aah.comment@sei.cmu.edu .pa ============================================================================== IV. NASA Space Station Ada Software Repository The NASA Ada Library at the Johnson Space Center is part of an effort by the Spacecraft Software Division to decrease software development costs by promoting reuse within the government. They are collecting Ada software from outside of NASA (WIS, NOSC, STARS, etc.) and evaluating it for possible reuse within NASA. They will utilize the tools and rules of NASA's Software Support Environment (SSE) prototype to evaluate, categorize, and maintain reusable software. Any department, agency or developer who would like to contribute software to the nation's space exploration effort should contact Lionel Hanley (see below). In return, NASA software will be distributed through NASA's Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC). The COSMIC catolog ($25.00) is available COSMIC, Athens, Georgia 30602. Ada Software from developed by NASA should begin to appear in the 1987 catalog. NASA standards, lessons-learned, etc. will be publicised via the Ada Information Clearing House, the Ada Software Repository on SIMTEL20, and at conferences. They have also applied for a NASA/JSC Arpa net account to facilitate the exchange of information between NASA and DoD developers. Their goal is to decrease software development costs by developing standards and promoting software reuse. For further information, see future issues of the ASR Newsletter or contact: Lionel G. Hanley Jr. NASA Ada Software Repository EH/GHG Bldg 16 Johnson Space Center Houston, TX 77058 Email: HANLEY%ASD@STAR.STANFORD.EDU ============================================================================== V. ASR Newsletters and Information on BITNET Michael Feldman of The George Washington University EE&CS Department has created a mailing list of people at BITNET sites interested in receiving the list of Ada validated compilers and Ada Software Repository Newsletters on a regular basis. Send an E-mail note to MFELDMAN at GWUVM (DDN Address: MFELDMAN%GWUVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU) and he will add you to the list. .pa ============================================================================== VI. Ada and OS/2 From: Herm Fischer <hermix!fischer@rand-unix.ARPA> Subject: Microsoft OS/2 -- Ideal for Ada Date: Fri Jun 12 17:06:44 1987 Microsoft OS/2 (the replacement for MS-DOS for 286 machines) seems to have everything which Ada's tasking management needs, and Unix doesn't provide. Unlike the balky fork concept of UNIX, OS/2 treats parallel executions within a process as threads, which look at first glance as if they were designed with Ada rendezvous in mind; the threads can share the same local data group, which is the opposite of UNIX fork semantics. Given the apparent compatibility of Ada with OS/2, I'd like to see a discussion of compiler vendor plans for supporting OS/2... (The only published public reference on OS/2 multiprocessing which I have seen at newstands is in the May 1987 Microsoft Systems Journal, pg 29 ff.) Herm Fischer --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: richard%telesoft.UUCP@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu (Richard S. Kaufmann @favorite) Date: Sun, 14 Jun 87 09:39:09 pdt Subject: OS/2 A couple of problems: * Threads, when encountering ANY sort of fault cause the termination of the entire program. * The death of a process for any abnormal reason is quiet; the parent process is not informed * It isn't clear that a heavily segmented model is a sensible approach for a 386. Perhaps the Xenix model of DS = SS = ES makes more sense. It may not be ideal yet, but some simple changes would make it pretty darned neat. -- Richard Kaufmann ARPA: richard@ucsd.arpa TeleLOGIC AB UUCP: ..!{decvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!telesoft!richard Box 1001 ..!mcvax!enea!log-hb!richard S14901 Nynashamn Compuserve: 76347,2547 SWEDEN Phone: +46 752 62778 U.S.: Group K, Inc., 708 Fourth Street #7, Encinitas CA 92024, (619) 942-1077 .pa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 Jun 87 11:40:47 GMT From: bloom-beacon!martillo@husc6.harvard.edu (Yakim Martillo) Organization: MIT Project Athena Subject: Re: Microsoft OS/2 -- Ideal for Ada In article <8706130340.AA00283@rand-unix.arpa> hermix!fischer@rand-unix.ARPA writes: >Microsoft OS/2 (the replacement for MS-DOS for 286 machines) seems to have >everything which Ada's tasking management needs, and Unix doesn't provide. >Unlike the balky fork concept of UNIX, OS/2 treats parallel executions >within a process as threads, which look at first glance as if they were >designed with Ada rendezvous in mind; the threads can share the same >local data group, which is the opposite of UNIX fork semantics. The correct question is whether the language implementer should be mapping an Ada task into a Unix fork. The Unix process is an operating system entity which corresponds to a particular model of computation where user programs access a virtual machine in isolation from all other programs and request services and request services from the virtual machine via a generalized set of system calls to the operating system. Such a model makes logical i/o and piping really trivial. The Unix model is much more powerful than the multics or vms model of computation. Now the Ada task is a programming entity which may have some use in operating system develop and I would expect Ada tasking to compile to processor specific tasking instructions such as are present on the 80386 or 80286 if such are present. If such instructions are not present, the compiler would have to simulate tasking instructions just as a C compiler would simulate stack instructions on a machine which had no specialized stack instructions. Providing language level tasking by simulating non-existent tasking instructions should be no more than a couple of days work for the compiler writer. The implied criticism of Unix in this article is gratuitous and implies a lack of understanding. >Given the apparent compatibility of Ada with OS/2, I'd like to see a >discussion of compiler vendor plans for supporting OS/2... >(The only published public reference on OS/2 multiprocessing which I have >seen at newstands is in the May 1987 Microsoft Systems Journal, pg 29 ff.) > Herm Fischer I thought applications written in ADA were supposed to be portable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 87 12:50:35 GMT From: firth@SEI.CMU.EDU (Robert Firth) Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, SEI, Pgh, Pa Subject: Re: Microsoft OS/2 -- Ideal for Ada In article <928@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> martillo@athena.mit.edu (Yakim Martillo) writes: >The correct question is whether the language implementer should >be mapping an Ada task into a Unix fork... >Providing language level tasking by simulating non-existent tasking >instructions should be no more than a couple of days work for the >compiler writer. The implied criticism of Unix in this article is >gratuitous and implies a lack of understanding. I agree that it is inappropriate to map Ada tasks into Unix processes. For one thing, the overhead is insupportable. Unfortunately, the alternative doesn't work either. Two serious problems (a) Unix does not provide asynchronous IO to a process. If one Ada task does a read() from the terminal, the whole program blocks. And you thought polling died out in the '60s? (b) A large number of Unix system calls are not reentrant. If one Ada task is suspended in a malloc(), chaos can ensue. These problems (and others) cannot be fixed by the compiler writer. All he can do is curse Unix (and rightly so, in my opinion) for a grossly simplistic view of what "computation" is. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 16 Jun 87 22:24:02 GMT From: bloom-beacon!martillo@husc6.harvard.edu (Yakim Martillo) Organization: MIT Project Athena Subject: Re: Microsoft OS/2 -- Ideal for Ada In article <1624@aw.sei.cmu.edu> firth@bd.sei.cmu.edu.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes: >In article <928@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> martillo@athena.mit.edu (Yakim Martillo) writes: >>The correct question is whether the language implementer should >>be mapping an Ada task into a Unix fork... >>Providing language level tasking by simulating non-existent tasking >>instructions should be no more than a couple of days work for the >>compiler writer. The implied criticism of Unix in this article is >>gratuitous and implies a lack of understanding. >I agree that it is inappropriate to map Ada tasks into Unix processes. >For one thing, the overhead is insupportable. >Unfortunately, the alternative doesn't work either. Two serious >problems >(a) Unix does not provide asynchronous IO to a process. If one Ada task > does a read() from the terminal, the whole program blocks. And you > thought polling died out in the '60s? Actually, Berkeley Unix does provide asynchronous I/O. If you use substandard AT&T versions of Unix, you get what you deserve. >(b) A large number of Unix system calls are not reentrant. If one Ada > task is suspended in a malloc(), chaos can ensue. This is a library problem not a language problem. >These problems (and others) cannot be fixed by the compiler writer. >All he can do is curse Unix (and rightly so, in my opinion) for a grossly >simplistic view of what "computation" is. Since I myself have written multitasking packages for Unix which would more than satisfy the needs of ada programming, I find this claim rather dubious. As for simplistic view of what computation is, I would be curious how it is simplistic, the Unix designers set out to define a true multi-user, multi- tasking, time-shared system with logical I/O and a limited virtual machine capability. As far as I know Unix is one of the few systems which achieve this. None of the IBM systems qualify, nor does VMS nor does Multics nor does Multics -- at least from what I can tell from groveling through the source. I would say that Unix achieves this precisely because of the powerful simplicity of the operating system because the Unix developers made the correct choice of fundamental operating system entites, the file and the process and then constructed a rather sophisticated system on top of these elements. Unix loses in providing real-time capability and dynamic linking but the developers limited their goals (a very good thing to do) and did not intend to provide such capability although I do not think they would be particularly hard to add if the developer has a proper understanding of the Unix model of computation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Jun 87 09:06 CDT From: PETCHER%SVDSD%eg.ti.com@RELAY.CS.NET Subject: tasking under UNIX Let's not curse UNIX for its view of computation. Let's understand UNIX for the computational environment for which it was designed. Like all general purpose, multi-user operating systems, its main priority is the efficient sharing of computer resources among multiple users. I will not comment on how well it does this, but suffice it to say it was not designed as a real-time operating system, and should not be expected to perform well as one. In fact, even systems such as RSX11-M, which DOES purport to be designed to support real-time applications, exacts a frequently unacceptable overhead on such programs. In my 10+ years of experience with real-time multitasking, the only viable approach has always been the same: Bypass the operating system. Sad but true, that has been the only way to meet system performance goals in the face of the need for concurrent tasking and I/O. I have pitched, on more than one occasion, the need for an effective real-time embedded OS that need not compromise performance in order to support multiple interactive users. In a sense, the bare machine Ada systems are meeting this need, perhaps in the only way possible, at high cost, but at least in a way that absolves the application programmer of having to design and maintain an operating system, as was done in the past. So the answer is, use UNIX if UNIX is what you need, but don't use it then curse it if it's the wrong thing to use in the first place. -- Malcolm Petcher, Texas Instruments, Inc. .pa ============================================================================== VII. Changes in the Ada World Date: Sun 23 Aug 87 13:42:11-PDT From: Edward V. Berard <EBERARD@ADA20.ISI.EDU> Subject: Changing Times "Be careful about what you pray for, lest you receive it." -- Old Chinese proverb "May you live in interesting times." -- Old Chinese curse "'The time has come,' the Walrus said, 'to talk of many things...'" -- Lewis Carroll From where I sit, the Ada world seems to be going through some very explosive growth. The rapidly escalating demand for the technology in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and elsewhere will force the Ada community, as a whole, to re-evaluate our current practices. If we plan it well, the transition from "two hundred people in a hotel room planning the future" to "thousands of people discussing the state-of-the-art in Ada technology" can be made almost tolerable. To be sure, the large changes coming up in the next two years will disturb some of "the old guard," but that is unavoidable. It is ironic that many in the Ada community who have had to fight unreasonable resistance to new technology will now find themselves fighting resistance to change from *within* the Ada community. One of the first places where we will probably notice an ever increasing pressure for change is in our "professional" societies and organizations. Specifically, I am referring to organizations such as SIGAda, Ada JUG, Ada UK, Ada in Sweden, and Ada Europe. The primary source of the pressure for change will be the large influx of new people, and with them, new problems, ideas, needs, and wants. Consider, for example, SIGAda. As part of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Special Interest Group on Ada has an almost "academic" image. One might question how such an organization might deal with the increasingly practical concerns of a rapidly changing Ada community. For example, to avoid concurrent sessions during the meetings of the national SIGAda, sessions have been pushed later and later in the evenings. Today, it is not unusual for a day at a national SIGAda to start at 8:30 in the morning and last until 11:00 in the evening (on paper). With increasing demand for forums, SIGAda may well find itself considering sessions which last past midnight. One solution which immediately suggests itself is concurrent sessions. Companies and organizations sending people to national SIGAda meetings should know full well that sending only one person to such meetings is not practical. Other national software-related organizations, e.g., the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers's (IEEE) Computer Society, have meetings with concurrent sessions. Those planning to attend such meetings plan their itineraries ahead of time, and if more than one person from the same organization is planning to attend, their itineraries are coordinated. On another matter, there are an increasing number of Ada-related forums, e.g., in the U.S. alone, there are the Washington Ada Symposium (WAdaS), the annual Ada Software Engineering Education and Training (ASEET) meeting, the annual meeting on Ada and Artificial Intelligence, Ada EXPO, the Front Range Ada Working Group (FRAWG), and others. Some of these may seem more useful than others. This leads me to a series of open questions I want to ask the Ada community. Currently, most, if not all, Ada organizations are lead by hard-working volunteers. They do not possess the resources to conduct formal surveys of their memberships. It is with the intent of providing some information to the leaderships of these organizations that I ask these questions. Given that the very natures of Ada-related technologies and the Ada community are changing rapidly: 1. Which national (or local) Ada-related organizations are you aware of? 2. Which national (or local) Ada-related organizations do you find most useful? Why? 3. Which national (or local) Ada-related organizations do you find least useful? Why? 4. If you could make only two changes to those national (or local) Ada-related organizations you found most useful, what would those two changes be? 5. What can be done, if anything, to salvage those national (and local) Ada-related organizations you find to be the least useful? 6. Should SIGAda consider adopting a strategy like that of SIGGRAPH? Specifically, having one large national meeting a year with an even larger tradeshow which sometimes obscures the fact that there is an ACM meeting going on at the same time? 7. How useful do you find Ada EXPO? Do you think it is critical for such a "tradeshow" to be conducted in parallel with another national Ada-related meeting, e.g., SIGAda? Is it time for such tradeshows to stand on their own? 8. How necessary is it for Ada-related organizations to hold joint meetings on a local or national level? Which Ada-related organizations should hold joint meetings, in your opinion? Why? 9. Given that, on a global basis, the commercial use of Ada technology far exceeds the military use of Ada technology, how important is it to you to have active participation by the military community at Ada meetings? 10. Given that it is very likely that the commercial use of Ada technology in the U.S. will exceed the military use on or before 1990, how do you feel this should impact Ada-related organizations? 11. If a majority of your organization's business is defense-related, could they justify sending attendees to an Ada meeting which was primarily commercial? How? 12. When you attend an Ada-related meeting on a national (or local) level, what do you consider to be your primary areas of interest: technical sessions, organizational policy sessions, military policy sessions, vendor briefings, business contacts, general information gathering, or other? 13. Do you feel it is necessary for new Ada-related organizations to be created? If so, what would they be? Obviously, there are more questions which could be asked. These can serve as a beginning. -- Ed Berard (301) 695-6960 .pa ============================================================================== VIII. Other Topics A. Archive Server Shutdown Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1987 08:58 MDT From: "Frank J. Wancho" <WANCHO@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Archive Server Shutdown Several changes to the Archive Server have been made in the past few weeks to improve service for replies sent through intermediate hosts. One of the requested changes was to reduce the size of the messages by half so that these messages don't hog the single-stream mail channels, particularly on BITNET, for extended periods of time, and thus give other mail a chance to get through in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this has resulted in the SIMTEL20 mail queue to rapidly grow way beyond all expectations: the Server was now generating twice as many messages and our dedicated mailer for this service now had to establish twice as many connections for the same number of replies. That mailer could not keep up with the the queue, and for the second time in as many weeks, we have had to shutdown the Server because we were running out of disk space. Because the disk space is at a premium for our regular users, and because the resources required by both the Server and the mailer have now reached a point well beyond the capabilities of our present system configuration, the Server has been shut down until further notice and for an indefinite period of time. New requests will be returned unanswered, and both present requests and replies will be flushed. In the meantime, we are examining other possibilities to provide access to our collections. Because the great majority of requests have come from BITNET users, we are looking for one or more BITNET hosts willing to provide the disk space and BITSERV facilities for one or more of our collections of public domain software. --Frank --------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. PD Snapshot Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1987 08:07 MDT From: "Frank J. Wancho" <WANCHO@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: PD snapshot (FYI) The following snapshot of the PD: structure on SIMTEL20 was taken on 6/29/87. The sizes are shown in MBytes (1024 * 1024 bytes), rounded to the nearest tenth of a MB on each line. All the collections are growing except CPMUG and PCNET, which are frozen by their originators. The PC-BLUE, MACINTOSH, and ADA collections are the fastest growing sets at this time. The ADA collection is expected to quadruple in size as soon as more disk space becomes available. .pa COLLECTION BINARY ASCII TOTAL NAME COUNT SIZE COUNT SIZE COUNT SIZE ---------- ----- ---- ----- ---- ----- ---- ADA 0 0.0 997 40.4 997 40.4 CPM 2675 50.6 731 3.4 3406 53.9 CPMUG 417 2.6 1504 10.0 1921 12.6 MACINTOSH 292 3.6 721 26.4 1013 30.0 MISC 13 0.6 479 5.7 492 6.3 MSDOS 561 29.5 319 3.6 880 33.1 PC-BLUE 3505 65.3 3785 21.2 7290 86.5 PCNET 0 0.0 132 2.7 132 2.7 SIGM 2838 36.5 3361 23.3 6199 59.8 UNIX 5 10.0 889 21.7 894 31.7 ZSYS 445 6.3 45 0.3 490 6.6 ========== ===== ==== ===== ==== ===== ==== TOTALS 10751 205.0 12963 158.7 23774 363.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. VHDL Repository A VHDL Repository now exists on SIMTEL20 and is being backed by the VHDL Program Office and the IEEE. Send requests to VHDL-SW-REQUEST@SIMTEL20.ARPA if you are interested in being placed on a mailing list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. ASR Stats Date: Mon, 13 Jul 87 22:22:47 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Admin and Stats As of today, 14 July 1987, the 1000+ files in the ASR have been accessed over 179,652 times since the creation of the ASR in November 1984. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- E. Reporting Problems Date: Tue, 21 Jul 87 05:29:13 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Reporting problems I receive a lot of messages thru ADA-SW-REQUEST from people asking about experiences, good or bad, with various pieces of software in the ASR. Many of these questions are answered in the Comment Files (file type CMM). Since the ASR was founded almost 3 years ago, we have had Comment Files. These files contain notes about various items of software and the experiences with them. A comment file is typically created upon the initial review of the software before it goes into the ASR; in this early state, the comment file usually indicates if the software was successfully compiled and executed. Later, as people use the software, they may report problems to me through ADA- SW-REQUEST; I usually respond to these problems by contacting the author or sponsor, noting the problem in the CMM file (for the benefit of future users before the problem is corrected). Problems may also be reported to ADA-SW if the person discovering the problem wishes to let everyone know about or query the community in general to see if a solution not mentioned in the CMM file has been found. As a rule, it is a good practice to read the CMM files before you start work on a piece of software. The CMM files may solve problems before you encounter them; they may also warn you of difficulties you did not anticipate, reducing your return on investment. Reading these files may also eliminate the need for a general posting to ADA-SW, avoiding the additional mail traffic which may be unnecessary. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- F. Export Restrictions on Ada Date: Thu 23 Jul 87 13:18:13-PDT From: Corey Rainboth <DEE@ECLA.USC.EDU> Subject: Export restrictions on Ada (second try) A while back there was much discussion about export regulations for Ada- related technology. Recently, two issues related to this topic have arisen in our organization: 1) If we have embedded Ada code in object form resident on an airplane, will the U.S. Government allow us to sell these airplanes to foreign airlines? 2) Will the U.S. Government allow us to sell or give the corresponding Ada source listings to these same airlines? Does anyone know the answers to these questions? If there is a certain process involved with getting this permission, we would also like to know what that process may be. Any discussion on these issues would be appreciated. Thank you. Corey Rainboth Boeing Commercial Airplane Company (206)237-3115 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- G. Ada's Influence Date: Fri, 24 Jul 87 04:55:13 MDT From: Rick Conn <RCONN@SIMTEL20.ARPA> Subject: Ada's influence Thought you would be interested: the July 1987 issue of Computer Design magazine has an interesting article entitled "Ada's Influence Spreads Through Defense Community" by Ron Wilson, a Senior Editor of the magazine. The article outlines a variety of DoD programs using Ada as well as insets by Dale Gaumer of Magnavox entitled "Ada as Part of a Technology Transition" and Grady Booch of Rational entitled "Architectural Support for Ada". Rick .pa --------------------------------------------------------------------------- H. Math Functions Discussion Date: 19 Aug 1987 08:36:01 PDT From: WWHITAKER@ADA20.ISI.EDU Subject: Math Functions Discussion There will be discussions of the Numerics Working Group at SIGAda in Seattle. The thrust is to get agreement on the specs of an elementry function package. Math packs are begining to be marketed and it would be a shame if they were called differently. So far the discussion has attracted an inside group of numerical analysts and math implementers, as you would expect. A question has arisen that is more appropriate for the users to decide (consent of the governed). Should the trig functions (and log and exp) have one or two parameters? function SIN (X : FLOATING) return FLOATING; or function SIN (X : FLOATING; CYCLE : FLOATING) return FLOATING; maybe with the CYCLE having a default of TWO_PI. There are a number of subquestions involved so please think about what you as a user, and your organization, need and participate in the discussion in Seattle. Bill Whitaker ============================================================================== Ada is a registered trademark, U.S. Government - Ada Joint Program Office. The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation: DEC, DECSYSTEM-20, ULTRIX, VAX, VMS. UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. The following are trademarks of Data General Corporation: AOS, ROLM. Verdix is a trademark of Verdix Corporation. TeleGen2 and TeleSoft are trademarks of TeleSoft. The Ada Software Repository Newsletter is Copyright 1986, 1987 Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint, wholly or partially, is automatically granted if source credit is given to Echelon. Echelon, Inc. 885 N. San Antonio Road Los Altos, CA 94022 USA Telephone: 415/948-3820