Ada in Action

(with Practical Programming Examples)

by Do-While Jones

Second Edition

1995

SHORT CONTENTS

Chapter 1 : Introduction
Chapter 2 : Numeric Considerations
Chapter 3 : IO Utilities
Chapter 4 : Programming isn't software engineering
Chapter 5 : Testing software components and programs
Chapter 6 : Conclusion
Chapter 7 : Epilog

Figures

FULL CONTENTS

Copyright Statement

Dedications

Hypertext Conversion

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

• 1.1 Organization and Content
• 1.2 Figures and Listings
• 1.3 Copyright
• 1.4 Liability
• 1.5 Ada no

NUMERIC CONSIDERATIONS

• 2.1 POOR_COORDINATES package
  • 2.1.1 Control of Integer Data Length
• 2.2 STANDARD_INTEGERS package
  • 2.2.1 Shared Data Types
• 2.3 Non-existent STANDARD_FLOATS package
  • 2.3.1 Type float Default Accuracy
• 2.4 DIM_INT_32 package
  • 2.4.1 Type Checking
  • 2.4.2 Derived Types
  • 2.4.3 Private Types
• 2.5 Generic INTEGER_UNITS package
  • 2.5.1 Generic Parameters
  • 2.5.2 Type Conversions
  • 2.5.3 Dimensioned Arithmetic
  • 2.5.4 Removing Dimensional Units
  • 2.5.5 Generic Bodies
  • 2.5.6 Instantiation
• 2.6 Generic FLOAT_UNITS package
  • 2.6.1 Division, Remainder, and Modulo Operators
  • 2.6.2 First and Last Functions
• 2.7 DIM_FLOAT package
• 2.8 Non-existent NUMERIC_UNITS package
• 2.9 Non-existent FIXED_UNITS package
  • 2.9.1 Problems with Fixed_Point
  • 2.9.2 Custom Fixed-Point Types
  • 2.9.3 FIXED_UNITS exercise
  • 2.9.4 Fixed_point Computers
• 2.10 TRIG package
  • 2.10.1 Type Naming Convention
  • 2.10.2 Overloaded Function Names
  • 2.10.3 Portability
  • 2.10.4 Reciprocal Functions
  • 2.10.5 Special cases
  • 2.10.6 Which Way is Up?
• 2.11 COORDINATES package
  • 2.11.1 Comments
  • 2.11.2 Other Improvements in COORDINATES
  • 2.11.3 USE Clauses

IO UTILITIES

• 3.1 ASCII_UTILITIES package
  • 3.1.1 IMAGE Attribute
  • 3.1.2 Qualified Expressions
  • 3.1.3 VALUE Attribute
  • 3.1.4 Short Circuit Control Forms
  • 3.1.5 Character Conversions
  • 3.1.6 Ada Strings
• 3.2 MONEY_UTILITIES package
• 3.3 TEXT_IO package
  • 3.3.1 What's Wrong With TEXT_IO
• 3.4 VIRTUAL_TERMINAL package
  • 3.4.1 Guaranteed Functionality
  • 3.4.2 Information Hiding
    • 3.4.2.1 Alsys VIRTUAL_TERMINAL body
    • 3.4.2.2 Meridian VIRTUAL_TERMINAL body
  • 3.4.3 Visual Attributes
  • 3.4.4 VIRTUAL_TERMINAL Uses
• 3.5 SCROLL_TERMINAL package
  • 3.5.1 Reusability and Consistency
  • 3.5.2 Layering
  • 3.5.3 SCROLL_TERMINAL Features
  • 3.5.4 Compatibility
  • 3.5.5 Hiding Details in the Package Body
  • 3.5.6 Coupling
  • 3.5.7 Module Partitioning
  • 3.5.8 Limited Name Space
  • 3.5.9 The Top is at the Bottom
• 3.6 FORM_TERMINAL package
  • 3.6.1 When to use the FORM_TERMINAL
  • 3.6.2 Consistency
  • 3.6.3 Abstract Objects
  • 3.6.4 Exception Handling
  • 3.6.5 Keep Shared Variables Hidden
  • 3.6.6 Reuse by Copy
  • 3.6.7 Global Variables
  • 3.6.8 A Package Can be an Abstract Object
  • 3.6.9 Discriminated Records
  • 3.6.10 Reading Discriminated Records from a File
  • 3.6.11 Discriminants May Not Save Space
  • 3.6.12 Use Read as a Pattern for Write
  • 3.6.13 ASCII Data Files
  • 3.6.14 Storing Boolean Values in a File
  • 3.6.15 One Compilation Unit Per File
  • 3.6.16 Encapsulating Details in One File
  • 3.6.17 Formatted IO
  • 3.6.18 The Danger of Improvement
  • 3.6.19 Creating a New FORM
  • 3.6.20 Character Substitution
  • 3.6.21 Long Strings
  • 3.6.22 in out Mode
  • 3.6.23 Editing an Existing FORM
  • 3.6.24 null Exception Handlers
• 3.7 Porting the IO Interfaces to VAX/VMS
  • 3.7.1 VMS package
  • 3.7.2 Raising Exceptions
  • 3.7.3 CONTROL-C Powder Keg
  • 3.7.4 Operating System Limitations
  • 3.7.5 INPUT Task
  • 3.7.6 OUTPUT Package
  • 3.7.7 Enforcing Order
  • 3.7.8 Hardware Limitations
  • 3.7.9 DEC VIRTUAL_TERMINAL
• 3.8 VIRTUAL_PRINTER package
  • 3.8.1 What's Its Name?
  • 3.8.2 Printer Quirks
• 3.9 SCROLL_PRINTER package

PROGRAMMING ISN'T SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

• 4.1 The Show Tool
  • 4.1.1 Named Loops
  • 4.1.2 Command Tail
  • 4.1.3 Compiling Library Procedures
  • 4.1.4 Unconstrained Strings
  • 4.1.5 Using Library Procedures
  • 4.1.6 Porting Show to Other Systems
    • 4.1.6.1 Compiling Procedure Specifications
    • 4.1.6.2 Porting Show to VAX/VMS
  • 4.1.7 Library Procedure Summary
  • 4.1.8 Common Command Names
• 4.2 The More Tool
  • 4.2.1 Multiple Loop Exits
• 4.3 The Write Tool
  • 4.3.1 Error Recovery and Help
• 4.4 The Line Tool
  • 4.4.1 Multiple Arguments
  • 4.4.2 Error Tolerance
  • 4.4.3 Presuming Too Much
• 4.5 The Search Tool
  • 4.5.1 I've Seen That Before
  • 4.5.2 Keep Selling the Same Software
• 4.6 Draw_Poker, Version 2
  • 4.6.1 Software Engineering
  • 4.6.2 Military Standards
  • 4.6.3 Goals and Requirements
  • 4.6.4 Case Study
  • 4.6.5 Sales Brochure
  • 4.6.6 User's Manual
  • 4.6.7 Checking the Requirements
  • 4.6.8 Planning For Reuse
  • 4.6.9 Abstract Data Types
  • 4.6.10 Private Types
  • 4.6.11 Keep IO Routines Separate
  • 4.6.12 A limit to Reuse
  • 4.6.13 Efficiency vs Verifiability
  • 4.6.14 Hidden Dependencies
  • 4.6.15 Building from the Bottom
  • 4.6.16 Top-Down Design
  • 4.6.17 Renaming Declarations
  • 4.6.18 Prototyping
  • 4.6.19 Validation and Verification
  • 4.6.20 Integration
  • 4.6.21 Maintenance Manual
  • 4.6.22 Other Software Engineering Concepts
    • 4.6.22.1 Configuration Management
    • 4.6.22.2 Error Reporting
    • 4.6.22.3 Cost and Schedule
• 4.7 Conclusion

TESTING SOFTWARE COMPONENTS AND PROGRAMS

• 5.1 Software Test Plans
• 5.2 What is Truth?
  • 5.2.1 Trust
  • 5.2.2 Inverse Functions
  • 5.2.3 Manufactured Data
• 5.3 Selecting Input Conditions
  • 5.3.1 Testing Every Case
  • 5.3.2 Sparse Uniform Testing
  • 5.3.3 Monte Carlo testing
    • 5.3.3.1 RANDOM_NUMBERS package
  • 5.3.4 Good Judgment
  • 5.3.5 Dumb Luck
• 5.4 Testing Mechanism
  • 5.4.1 Test Drivers
    • 5.4.1.1 White-Box Testing
    • 5.4.1.2 Black-Box Testing
    • 5.4.1.3 Which Color is Better?
  • 5.4.2 Test Stubs
  • 5.4.3 Using Stubs and Drivers
  • 5.4.4 Test and Demo Programs
• 5.5 The Cost of Testing

CONCLUSION

Epilog

• 7.2 New Naming Conventions
• 7.1 Standard Size STANDARD_INTEGERS
• 7.3 Software Documentation
• 7.4 Separate Non-abstract Data Types from Subprograms
• 7.5 ASCII_UTILITIES is too Broad
• 7.6 Finalization
• 7.7 Ada 95
• 7.8 Estimating Completion
• 7.9 Predictions
• 7.10 Final Thoughts

2. Distinct types

3. SLIGHTLY_BETTER_COORDINATES package specification

4. Shared types

5. Dimensional units example

6. Range checking example

7. Dimensional division

8. Precise division

9. Simple output

10. Better output

11. NUMERIC_UNITS example

12. Polar Coordinates

13. Directions

14. COORDINATES package specification

15. POOR_COORDINATES body

16. COORDINATES body

17. The IMAGE attribute is awkward to use.

18. The Image function is easy to use.

19. ASCII_UTILITIES demo

20. Sales_Tax

21. Usual_Dilemma

22. Usual_Solution

23. Form_Dilemma

24. FORTRAN_Mentality_Solution

25. Form_Solution

26. Objects need a constraint

27. Constrained objects can't change constraints

28. You can't change the constraint alone

29. ADDRESS.DAT

30. Erroneous FORTRAN SPLIT subroutine

31. Erroneous Split procedure

32. Correct Split procedure

33. VIRTUAL_PRINTER body for COM2 port

34. First version of Show

35. The first Get_Command_Line procedure

36. Improved version of Show

37. Original Get_Command_Line body for Meridian

38. Get_Command_Line body for Gould APLEX

39. Write without help and error recovery

40. Portions of Meridian COS.DAT

41. Accuracy of Meridian TRIG.Cos function

42. Coordinates_Test program

43. Get_Command_Line stub 1

44. Get_Command_Line stub 2

45. Lookup driver

46. Lookup stub