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1994-08-15
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Ada/Ed translator and interpreter
0. Introduction
This file (sort of) documents the Peter Burwood port of the Ada/Ed
translator and interpreter for the Ada programming language to the
Acorn range of ARM based machines, running RISC-OS 2 / 3. For copyright
details see !Help.
This is the first release of version 1.11.0a. It appears NYU are no longer
developing Ada/Ed since the release of GNAT (the GNU Ada system). GNAT
cannot be ported until the GNU assembler (GAS) is available for ARM and then
must be cross-compiled from a GNAT supported platform.
Ada/Ed generally runs in a 640K wimpslot though large programs may
require more.
This is a binary distribution only (sources are over 3MB in size), and
consists of the following packages :
!Ada - Non-specific files, documentation, etc.
!Help General help and copyright.
!ReadMe This file.
!Run
!Sprites
Doc.adaed The Ada/Ed users manual.
maketest Task obey file to build the example programs.
ada.* Example Ada programs (light on comments!).
c.* Example C program called from Ada.
o.* Object file for example c program.
Ada/Ed translator and interpreter
bin.adabind Ada linker.
bin.adacomp Ada compiler control program.
bin.adaexec Ada interpreter.
bin.adalib Ada library manager.
lib.adabind copy of Ada linker.
lib.adagen Ada virtual machine code generator.
lib.adaint Partially linked Ada interpreter for interfacing to C
lib.adaprs Ada parser.
lib.adasem Ada semantic analyser.
lib.predef Ada predefined library.
1. Installation
The (default) installation of Ada/Ed is relatively simple :
* Copy this directory, and its files, onto your hard disc.
* Double click on the !Ada application to setup the environment.
If you copy the !Ada.!Run file to !Ada.!Boot and ensure that !Ada is run
during your boot up procedure, everything will be setup as required.
2. Using Ada/Ed
See the !Ada.maketest file for examples on compiling and running some of the
supplied example Ada programs. Read the file !Ada.doc.adaed for a fuller
description. This file has been unedited, apart from formatting, and so
contains some non RISC OS notes, particularly the FORTRAN stuff, though this
may work.
File names are automatically converted from <file>.<ext> when necessary to
<ext>.<file> if the original file doesn't exist. Directories are created as
necessary and removed when they become empty.
During compilation work files are created in the <library> directory and
should be deleted when they are no longer required. The output of the
compiler is also stored in the library directory as rather unhelpfully
`numbered' files. If the source file to be compiled contains errors then
examine the listing file in the lis directory. Re-running the compiler
should delete all obsolete work files, though not always!
There is a limitation of approximately 256 units in am Ada library and a
cunning file naming convention is used to overcome the RISC OS limit of 77
files per directory. Basically, additional directories are created when
required by appending a number from 1 to 9 to the directory name.
For most of the details for using Ada/Ed see the file !Ada.doc.adaed
2.1 RISC-OS specific features.
* Interworking with Norcroft cc
Code compiled with Ada/Ed can be linked by the Ada binder with code produced
by the Norcroft CC compiler, and probably other APCS-R conformant compilers,
with no problems. See !Ada.ada.test_int and !Ada.doc.adaed for more
information.
* Wimpslot
Ada/Ed is able to extend the wimpslot while executing an Ada program, though
640K is normally sufficient.
* Debugging
Debugging is only available by a simple trace option. See !Ada.doc.adaed for
more information.
2.2 Feature not yet implemented
* AMU support
This is not supported yet. The files are compiled to rather unfriendly named
files in the library directory and it is impossible for AMU to determine
whether a unit is up to date. An Ada frontend similar to the the cc
frontend should appear shortly.
* Throwback
Errors are currently output only to the screen. Later versions should
support Throwback
4. Known bugs / Problems
This is a list of all the known (by me) bugs and problems in Ada/Ed
1.11.0a Release 1. This list does not include any implementation
restrictions mentioned in !Ada.doc.appendix_f.
Bug 1:
The compiler may crash with a `getsymptr' error. I have seen this happen
with a package incorporating generic functions which accesses package level
global symbols (in the parent package of the generic) and is then with'ed by
a later unit.
Reported by: Me
status: Not yet cleared
Preventative actions:
Try recompiling the unit that uses the generic in the same file as the
generic.
================================================================================
Bug 2:
Occasionaly, Ada/Ed calls later phases of the compiler when the source
contained errors. This generally results in a `chaos' message.
Reported by: Me
status: Not yet cleared.
Preventative actions:
Fix the source code and recompile it.
================================================================================
Bug 3:
If you use a command line like `adacomp -s adfs::harddisc4.$.work.bug.ada'
(or ... ada.bug), the resultant listing file will be called lis.harddisc4 in
your current directory.
Reported by: Me
status: Not yet cleared
Preventative actions:
Set the working directory to the directory `adfs::harddisc4.$.work' in this
example and use `adacomp -s bug.ada'
================================================================================
5. Acknowledgements, sources and other bits
* Acknowledgements
Thanks go to the New York University for writing and implementing this
software.
* Sources
The standard sources for Ada/Ed are freely available from cs.nyu.edu
(128.122.140.24) in the directory pub/adaed via anonymous FTP. These sources
have not been converted to run on Acorn machines.
If you want the complete sources for Ada/Ed for Acorn machines, your best
action is probably not to bother at the moment, and wait till a later
version comes out with reported bugs hopefully fixed, and then get in touch
with me.
6. Contacting me
3. Obtaining Ada/Ed
Ada/Ed can be obtained from various FTP sites (HENSA etc.) or can be
obtained directly from me by sending 2 single density or 1 high density
floppy discs and return postage to:
Peter Burwood
205 Masons Avenue
Harrow
Middx
HA3 5AZ
I can also be contacted by email as `adaed@arcangel.demon.co.uk'