Ada95 and Java
A Major Opportunity
for the Ada Community
Birds-of-a-Feather Session
Tri-Ada'95
Disneyland, CA
Bob Munck
munck@acm.org
What's Java?
- WWW need to download logic, execute in client
- Obvious solution: UCSD P-System
- Interpretable byte code
- HOL compiler
- Native interpreters for each platform
- SUN (James Gosling) has defined a C++ dialect, byte code -both called Java
- (Supposedly) secure compiler and run-time
- Difficult to allow useful functionality in client, prevent malicious actions
- "Applets" download with html, .gif, etc.
- (100K image is "medium-large;" 100K of byte code is 20K 40K LoC)
- animate images create, move around
- validity-check forms input, branching forms
- games, canned demos
- Computer-Aided Instruction
- Manipulate display -page sequencing, sound/image/video synchrononization
- Netscape has announced support; everyone else will have to follow suit
- Larger applications running as full Win Apps
Java and Ada'95
- Intermetrics (Tucker Taft) is targetting the Ada'95 Educational Compiler to Java
- Comparison with Java C/C++ dialect
- Java designed, implemented quickly
- by a group with relatively little language experience
- Ada is ISO standard, has validity suite, highly-optimizing production compilers, development environments
- Conflicts between C++, Java, LiveScript
We have an opportunity to encourage wide use of Ada by programmers at
all levels of experience
A huge number of people will be writing applets in the near future
How can we influence them to use Ada95?
- Get some of our good Ada coders busy writing
- high-quality, understandable applets
- reusable object definitions
- applet skeletons
- debug support
- Adapt existing Ada83 code
- Create a high-visibility web site
- good down-load support
- a FAQ area
- answers and hints from "Dr. Ada-Magic"
- a mailing list with forms or email input
- an archive with good searching facilities, etc.
- Tutorials on applet ("adalet"?) design and coding
- Put the Adamagic/Java beta on the web site ASAP
- make it as easy as we can to download and install
- AdaJava is a 100% Intermetrics-funded product development product.
- Production version will be sold, but price will be low
- Web Compiler Server
- accepts applet source code via form or email
- compiles it
- sends back the java bytecode
- other development tools
- hyperada formatter/browser
- download deltas
- debug, profiling support
- Enrol all of our academic supporters
- classes, grad students, semester projects
- applets, shells, object definitions, debug scaffolds
- LOTS OF THINGS.
- Make sure well-written, understandable, working
- put out on web site
- Write more advanced tutorials,
- Maybe a book
- things like multitasking, graphics, text processing, DSP
- Adapt/re-edit an existing book to cover applet programming
- Bundle book with compiler, web site contents on CD-ROM
- giving people quick access to the whole thing.
This can be done on a volunteer basis, lots of people doing
small jobs, with web facilities donated by vendors, user
groups, big Ada users
Now what?
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