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Subject:
From:
Doug Smith <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Doug Smith <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 10 Sep 1999 23:34:02 -0400
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Back when WebAda was a hot item and used HTML/Web Browser to provide a client/server development environment, Mike Feldman and I were trying to figure out just how to get this nicer, web-based interface into a stand-alone development environment. Since Windows-95 and Mac OS8, a personal web server has been available with the OS. So it isn't a question of how to do it, anymore...it's who and when!

Doug
www.adasmith.com

At 11:22 PM -0400 9/10/99, Robert C. Leif wrote:
>From: Bob Leif
>To: Richard Conn et al.
>
>I suspect that you are correct that it is easier to create screens in Visual
>Basic than Ada. I believe that this has much more to do with the environment
>than the programming languages.
>
>Last year, I proposed what I thought to be a simple solution, use XML or
>HTML, which can now be extended to XHTML. That is HTML which is consistent
>with being an XML application. There is only one problem with this approach.
>Present browsers are designed for a client-server environment, rather than
>being totally hosted on the client. The technical question is, what is the
>simplest way to have an Ada program directly interact with a browser? Both
>the program and the browser are located on the same CPU and using the same
>peripherals and operating system.
>
>At SIGAda '98, I strongly suggested that the Ada community be represented on
>the World Wide Web Consortium. Presumably, the appropriate organization
>would be the ARA. I still believe that the best way to achieve penetration
>of the commercial market by Ada is through the use of Web technology and
>standards. For instance, there are many HTML application builders that can
>compete with Visual BASIC. Many embedded systems can be based on simple HTML
>forms. They are certainly sufficient for my own applications. All we need is
>a simple way to use this technology.
>
>Parenthetically, the use of Web technology for client based applications is
>a very simple and straight forward way to both build portable applications
>and break Microsoft's control of the market. Amusingly, and to its credit,
>Microsoft is making its own products do exactly what I suggested. Word,
>Excel, etc files can be saved and operated on in HTML format.
>
>In short, let us develop Ada technology based on Web standards.
>
>1. R. C. Leif, “SIGAda ‘98, Workshop: How do We Expedite the Commercial Use
>of Ada?.” Ada letters XIX, No 1 pp. 28-39 (1999).
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Team Ada: Ada Advocacy Issues (83 & 95)
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Richard L. Conn
>Sent: Friday, September 10, 1999 5:03 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Two interesting approaches to job hunting and more
>
>
>Hi, Everyone,
>Big SNIP
> And Visual Basic is a LOT easier ... my students all ran
>their first GUI-oriented programs with various degrees of bells and whistles
>after 1.5 hours of instruction and 1.5 hours of lab.  At this point, I can't
>feed them new ideas fast enough.
>
>Right now, a number of our Ada people are taking courses in Visual Basic
>(for certification).  Even on the next ASE CDROM, I have an example of an
>Ada engine (command-line oriented) running under a Visual Basic
>(GUI-oriented)
>front-end.  So far, the Ada people are not leaving (airplanes are too much
>fun),
>but time will tell.  So far, the blend of the two is a good thing.
>
>Just some comments.
>
>Rick
>
>----------------------------------
>Richard Conn, ASE and PAL Manager
>http://xenadu.home.mindspring.com/

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