I want to get back to doing some Ada programming and I am suddenly confronted with a whole new new Adaverse. I suppose that has something to do with my not even looking at an Ada program for some twenty years! 😖 I have Gnat Studio but I can't do anything at all unless I create a Project (whatever that is). Even then, I can't write and run Hello_World unless I call it Main. The concept of an IDE where I can step through a program checking changes in variable values as I go seems to have vanished. In short, I am lost and I can't find any material to help me find my way.

I'd appreciate some help. Perhaps there is a forum I cannot find for beginner Ada programmers. Perhaps there is a tutorial or a text I can download. Everything I can find is written for people with CS Degrees that are not 30 years old and who already know everything about this new world. What I really need, I think, is _*Ada Programming in Gnat Studio for Dummies*_. 😖

Can someone help?
Thanks

On 2022-09-26 08:20, Rick Duley wrote:

> I have Gnat Studio but I can't do anything at all unless I create a Project (whatever that is). Even then, I can't write and run Hello_World unless I call it Main. The concept of an IDE where I can step through a program checking changes in variable values as I go seems to have vanished.

That concept is called debugger. GDB for GCC (GNAT Ada is based in GDB).
GDB never ever really worked except for little exercises. It still does
not. So, forget about it.

> In short, I am lost and I can't find any material to help me find my way.

The project file is 3-liner:
----------------hello_world.gpr----->
project Hello_World is
for Main use ("hello_world.adb");
end Hello_World;
<------------------------------------

No, you do not need main to be Main:

---hello_world.adb----------------->
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Hello_World is
begin
Put_Line ("Hello world!");
end Hello_World;
<----------------------------------

You still can compile and build without projects. But projects are much
more comfortable.

--
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

On Monday, September 26, 2022 at 2:45:16 PM UTC+8, Dmitry A. Kazakov wrote:
> On 2022-09-26 08:20, Rick Duley wrote:
>
> > I have Gnat Studio but I can't do anything at all unless I create a Project (whatever that is). Even then, I can't write and run Hello_World unless I call it Main. The concept of an IDE where I can step through a program checking changes in variable values as I go seems to have vanished.
> That concept is called debugger. GDB for GCC (GNAT Ada is based in GDB).
> GDB never ever really worked except for little exercises. It still does
> not. So, forget about it.
> > In short, I am lost and I can't find any material to help me find my way.
> The project file is 3-liner:
> ----------------hello_world.gpr----->
> project Hello_World is
> for Main use ("hello_world.adb");
> end Hello_World;
> <------------------------------------
>
> No, you do not need main to be Main:
>
> ---hello_world.adb----------------->
> with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
> procedure Hello_World is
> begin
> Put_Line ("Hello world!");
> end Hello_World;
> <----------------------------------
>
> You still can compile and build without projects. But projects are much
> more comfortable.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Dmitry A. Kazakov
> http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

You missed the point, Dmitry. Showing me the code for Hello_World does not show me how to create the program using Gnat Studio.

Firstly, I do not understand the concept of a _Project_. Until a couple of days ago I had never heard the term in reference to Ada Programming. Everyone seems to assume that I know what it means, but I don't.

Secondly, I can write Hello_World.adb and have it included in my 'Project', I can even build it, but the only thing that will run is _Main_. I cannot find any documentation about Studio which explains something as simple as the creation of Hello_World.exe. Can you do that in Studio or is it purely ornamental?

Thirdly, I was never a good enough programmer to be able to write programs without bugs. Perhaps you have reached that exalted stage but I certainly have not. Therefore I have a need to debug. How do I do that?

"Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> writes:

> That concept is called debugger. GDB for GCC (GNAT Ada is based in
> GDB). GDB never ever really worked except for little exercises. It
> still does not. So, forget about it.

Until you get to programs with a lot of tasking and/or interrupts, most
are "little exercises". Do not forget about using a debugger (and,
realistically, GDB is it for GNAT).

On 26.09.22 08:20, Rick Duley wrote:
> I want to get back to doing some Ada programming and I am suddenly confronted with a whole new new Adaverse. I suppose that has something to do with my not even looking at an Ada program for some twenty years! 😖 I have Gnat Studio but I can't do anything at all unless I create a Project (whatever that is). Even then, I can't write and run Hello_World unless I call it Main. The concept of an IDE where I can step through a program checking changes in variable values as I go seems to have vanished. In short, I am lost and I can't find any material to help me find my way.

For debugging "normal" programs, the Studio's interface to GDB
(GNU debugger) offers viewing current values of variables,

https://docs.adacore.com/live/wave/gps/html/gps_ug/debugging.html#the-variables-view

(Dmitri's comment might reflect debugging more tricky
programs that run a number of interacting tasks and more.)

> I'd appreciate some help. Perhaps there is a forum I cannot find for beginner Ada programmers. Perhaps there is a tutorial or a text I can download. Everything I can find is written for people with CS Degrees that are not 30 years old and who already know everything about this new world. What I really need, I think, is _*Ada Programming in Gnat Studio for Dummies*_. 😖

A short description of the purpose of project files,
is found int the User's Guide, also full details:

https://docs.adacore.com/live/wave/gps/html/gps_ug/main_window.html#the-project-view
https://docs.adacore.com/live/wave/gps/html/gps_ug/projects.html#project-handling

"gps" is an abbreviating name, maybe also the name
of a directory in your installation. Look around there
for other User's Guides and Reference Manuals (*_rm.*).
I suspect that GPStudio has a menu or even links
in context menus.

A tutorial ("Let's build a small desk calculator, start here,
do this, then ...") is found at the same WWW node.

The command line programs of GNAT permit translating Ada source
without project files.
Run gnatmake, or even gcc, gnatbind, gnatlink.

On 2022-09-26 09:11, Rick Duley wrote:
> You missed the point, Dmitry. Showing me the code for Hello_World does not show me how to create the program using Gnat Studio.

Hmm, programs are created by typing them in an editor...

> Firstly, I do not understand the concept of a _Project_.

Project is an executable or shared/static library.

> Until a couple of days ago I had never heard the term in reference to Ada Programming.

It always existed. E.g. Ada 83 Reference Manual called it "the program
library". See ARM 83 (10.4)

> Secondly, I can write Hello_World.adb and have it included in my 'Project', I can even build it, but the only thing that will run is _Main_.

No, I provided the project file where the main procedure is called
Hello_World.

> I cannot find any documentation about Studio which explains something as simple as the creation of Hello_World.exe. Can you do that in Studio or is it purely ornamental?

I am not sure what you mean. I think one can create a new project in GPS
by clicking File->New Project. I never do that. I create project *files*
using Notepad++ or GPS editor as text file.

> Thirdly, I was never a good enough programmer to be able to write programs without bugs. Perhaps you have reached that exalted stage but I certainly have not. Therefore I have a need to debug. How do I do that?

As I said, GPS has integrated support for GDB. Theoretically you should
be able to do visual debugging. Click Debug->Initialize in GPS. In
practice GDB is garbage, but that has nothing to do with either Ada or GPS.

--
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

On 2022-09-26 09:27, Simon Wright wrote:
> "Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> writes:
>
>> That concept is called debugger. GDB for GCC (GNAT Ada is based in
>> GDB). GDB never ever really worked except for little exercises. It
>> still does not. So, forget about it.
>
> Until you get to programs with a lot of tasking and/or interrupts, most
> are "little exercises". Do not forget about using a debugger (and,
> realistically, GDB is it for GNAT).

Not only tasking. Usually if you have several dependent projects things
stop working in GDB. In my case it is basically always.

P.S. Even addr2line does not always work in presence of dynamic
libraries etc.

--
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

Okay - you can use GDB within Studio. Great, but first I have to write a program.

Please ...

Assume: I am an Elementary School kid brought up by his Grandparents who are still struggling to control an abacus. Assume I know absolutely nothing at all about programming. Assume that I do not speak Geek! Assume that there is access to a PC with Gnat Studio installed.

Now: Teach me how to write "Hello_World" using Studio from scratch right up to where I have 'hello_world.exe' and can run it. That'll be great! Then I'll have something to tell Grandma about. :)

Rick Duley <rickduley@gmail.com> writes:

> Firstly, I do not understand the concept of a _Project_. Until a
> couple of days ago I had never heard the term in reference to Ada
> Programming. Everyone seems to assume that I know what it means, but
> I don't.

Would this help? (it's "live" documentation, so the details will be
somewhat in advance of what your gprbuild does, but the overall concept
will be valid)

https://docs.adacore.com/live/wave/gprbuild/html/gprbuild_ug/gprbuild_ug/gnat_project_manager.html

On 2022-09-26 10:04, Rick Duley wrote:
> Okay - you can use GDB within Studio. Great, but first I have to write a program.
>
> Please ...
>
> Assume: I am an Elementary School kid brought up by his Grandparents who are still struggling to control an abacus. Assume I know absolutely nothing at all about programming. Assume that I do not speak Geek! Assume that there is access to a PC with Gnat Studio installed.
>
> Now: Teach me how to write "Hello_World" using Studio from scratch right up to where I have 'hello_world.exe' and can run it. That'll be great! Then I'll have something to tell Grandma about. :)

1. Start GPS

2. Select default project

3. Press File->New file

4. Type:
project Hello_World is
for Main use ("hello_world.adb");
end Hello_World;

5. File->Save as
hello_world.gpr

6. Press File->New file

7. Type:
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Hello_World is
begin
Put_Line ("Hello world!");
end Hello_World;

8. File->Save as
hello_world.adb

9. Press File->Open Project and select file hello_world.gpr

You are done.

--
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

On 2022-09-26 08:20, Rick Duley wrote:
> I want to get back to doing some Ada programming and I am suddenly confronted with a whole new new Adaverse. I suppose that has something to do with my not even looking at an Ada program for some twenty years! 😖 I have Gnat Studio but I can't do anything at all unless I create a Project (whatever that is). Even then, I can't write and run Hello_World unless I call it Main. The concept of an IDE where I can step through a program checking changes in variable values as I go seems to have vanished. In short, I am lost and I can't find any material to help me find my way.

Welcome back.

Unless your project uses multiple languages, or has a complicated build process,
project files and gprbuild are unnecessary complications. You can use GNAT and
GNAT Studio without them.

You can start GNAT Studio with a "default project". This lets you use it as an LSE.

You can compile and run your programs from the command line:

$ gnatmake -O2 -fstack-check hello_world.adb
$ ./hello_world

(This presumes some version of Unix. On Windows the second line would omit "./")

I have never found a debugger worth learning for well designed Ada programs, but
you generally get an Ada-aware version of gdb along with GNAT. You have to
specify extra switches to make your executable gdb friendly. You can probably
debug a program with

$ gdb hello_World

To build, run, and debug a program from within GNAT Studio requires having a
project file and understanding how GNAT Studio needs to be configured.

--
Jeff Carter
"Friends don't let friends program in C++"
Zalman Stern
114

Thanks Dmitry.
I'll get on to that in the morning.

On Monday, September 26, 2022 at 5:30:14 PM UTC+8, Jeffrey R.Carter wrote:

>
> You can start GNAT Studio with a "default project". This lets you use it as an LSE.
>

What is an LSE?

On 2022-09-26 11:34, Rick Duley wrote:
> On Monday, September 26, 2022 at 5:30:14 PM UTC+8, Jeffrey R.Carter wrote:
>>
>> You can start GNAT Studio with a "default project". This lets you use it as an LSE.
>
> What is an LSE?

Sorry: Language-Sensitive Editor

--
Jeff Carter
"Friends don't let friends program in C++"
Zalman Stern
114

Perhaps this could help:

GNAT Studio Tutorial

https://docs.adacore.com/live/wave/gps/html/gps_tutorial/index.html

You might also find that the new alire way
will easily give you what you want but maybe
also more than you want.
You can get a hello world open in gnat studio
with two? commands though.

"https://alire.ada.dev/docs/#first-steps"

Am 26.09.22 um 15:23 schrieb Kevin Chadwick:
> You might also find that the new alire way
> will easily give you what you want but maybe
> also more than you want.
> You can get a hello world open in gnat studio
> with two? commands though.
>
> "https://alire.ada.dev/docs/#first-steps"

Alire is the way to go especially if one wants to use libraries beyond
what Gnat provides out of the box.

Adding a library to a 'crate' worked nicely for me, but I had to invoke
GNAT Studio via Alire (alr edit) to make the library available in GMAT
Studio, invoking GNAT Studio directly did not work. So this is something
one should be aware of.

On Monday, 26 September 2022 at 07:20:06 UTC+1, rick...@gmail.com wrote:
> I want to get back to doing some Ada programming and I am suddenly confronted with a whole new new Adaverse...

Welcome back, Rick!
Dont despair. You'll find Ada has aged well, the language as the compilers.
Unfortunately, all language technologies today involve extra configuration grunt work.
Fortunately for us Adaists, GNAT configuration is easy and reliable compared to, say, Java or Python (Anaconda).
Just follow the tutorial.

On Monday, September 26, 2022 at 5:16:35 PM UTC+8, Dmitry A. Kazakov wrote:
> 1. Start GPS
>
> 2. Select default project
>

Thanks for that set of instructions.
Grandma is very pleased for me although she does not yet know much about what is happening.

For myself, I have two more questions:
1. Do I have to create a new project for every mainline I write?
2. My program runs in Studio but the EXE does nothing from the folder.

On 2022-09-27 04:35, Rick Duley wrote:

> For myself, I have two more questions:
> 1. Do I have to create a new project for every mainline I write?

You create a project for following cases:

1. An executable like hello.exe
2. A library like goodbye.a, goodbye.dll, goodbye.so
3. Abstract settings and assorted sources shared by other projects

> 2. My program runs in Studio but the EXE does nothing from the folder.

It is a terminal application. You must start it from a command-line
interpreter (cmd.exe or power shell).

--
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de

Le 27/09/2022 à 04:35, Rick Duley a écrit :
> For myself, I have two more questions:
> 1. Do I have to create a new project for every mainline I write?

In GnatStudio, note that on top of the "project" window you have a
little "pencil" icon. If you click on it, you open a dialog to adjust
project parameters. There is a "main" tag that allows you to choose you
main program (you can even have several).

--
J-P. Rosen
Adalog
2 rue du Docteur Lombard, 92441 Issy-les-Moulineaux CEDEX
Tel: +33 1 45 29 21 52
https://www.adalog.fr

Thanks folks

On Monday, September 26, 2022 at 11:23:35 PM UTC+10, kevc...@gmail.com wrote:
> You might also find that the new alire way
> will easily give you what you want but maybe
> also more than you want.
> You can get a hello world open in gnat studio
> with two? commands though.
>
> "https://alire.ada.dev/docs/#first-steps"
Following the "first-steps", progress succeeded up to gnat_native=11.2.4 installed successfully but then failure:
dyld: lazy symbol binding failed: Symbol not found: ___darwin_check_fd_set_overflow
Any ideas on how to fix this:
Thanks,
Roger

On Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 8:10:12 PM UTC+10, Roger Mc wrote:
> On Monday, September 26, 2022 at 11:23:35 PM UTC+10, kevc...@gmail.com wrote:
> > You might also find that the new alire way
> > will easily give you what you want but maybe
> > also more than you want.
> > You can get a hello world open in gnat studio
> > with two? commands though.
> >
> > "https://alire.ada.dev/docs/#first-steps"
> Following the "first-steps", progress succeeded up to gnat_native=11.2.4 installed successfully but then failure:
> dyld: lazy symbol binding failed: Symbol not found: ___darwin_check_fd_set_overflow
> Any ideas on how to fix this:
> Thanks,
> Roger

This problem only occurs on my MacBook Air, OSX 10.13.6, Xcode 10.1
Works OK on my Mac mini under OSX Monterey with latest Xcode