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Open-Source Ada: From Gateware to Application

63 points by Bogdanp 11mo ago

no_wizard 11mo ago
This is specifically for hardware. Looks really cool! I’ve always been confused about Ada the language and its licensing though. I know this project is open source but is the language as well? It’s unclear to me, though I may be missing information
- homarp 11mo ago
  you have GNAT https://www.getadanow.com/ https://www.getadanow.com/ which is part of GNU compilers some discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27313294 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27313294
- tremon 11mo ago
  What do you mean with "is the language open source"? The Ada specification is public [0] but not open source -- but the C and C++ specifications are not open source either, in the normal sense of the term. And like with C and C++, there are both open source and proprietary compilers for Ada, see e.g. [1] What's mostly not open source (FAFAIK) is SPARK, the formal verification framework for Ada. [0] https://www.adaic.org/ada-resources/standards/ada22/ https://www.adaic.org/ada-resources/standards/ada22/ [1] https://github.com/ohenley/awesome-ada#compilers https://github.com/ohenley/awesome-ada#compilers
  - i-con 11mo ago
    SPARK tools are also open source. The main tool `gnatprove` is based on GCC as well. https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 It's not a community project, AFAICT. Few people know how to build it from source.
    - tremon 11mo ago
      That links gives me a 404. Does it require membership of some organization before you're allowed to view it? edit: did you mean https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 ?
      - i-con 11mo ago
        Sorry, yes 2014. Fixed it.
  - RossBencina 11mo ago
    The C++ (draft) standards are open source: https://github.com/cplusplus/draft https://github.com/cplusplus/draft Last time I looked I could not find an equivalent repository for the C standards.
    - AlotOfReading 11mo ago
      There isn't one. They publish completed drafts on the working group website: https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/wg14_document_log.htm https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/wg14_document_lo...
      - RossBencina 11mo ago
        .pdf unfortunately. The C++ sources that I linked to are machine readable .tex.
- i-con 11mo ago
  If you are looking for an open-source compiler, many distros (e.g. Archlinux, Debian and derivatives) bootstrap a full GCC (GNU compiler collection). Sometimes you have to install a particular packet, e.g. `gnat` or `gcc-ada`. There's also a language-specific packet tool `alire` that seems to aim to be somewhat like cargo. It can also install toolchains, IIRC.
- pjmlp 11mo ago
  Just as open as COBOL, Fortran, C and C++. As ISO standards driven language with multiple implementations, commercial and open source ones. The open source one is part of GCC.

63 points by Bogdanp 11mo ago

This is specifically for hardware. Looks really cool! I’ve always been confused about Ada the language and its licensing though. I know this project is open source but is the language as well? It’s unclear to me, though I may be missing information

homarp 11mo ago
you have GNAT https://www.getadanow.com/ https://www.getadanow.com/ which is part of GNU compilers some discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27313294 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27313294
tremon 11mo ago
What do you mean with "is the language open source"? The Ada specification is public [0] but not open source -- but the C and C++ specifications are not open source either, in the normal sense of the term. And like with C and C++, there are both open source and proprietary compilers for Ada, see e.g. [1] What's mostly not open source (FAFAIK) is SPARK, the formal verification framework for Ada. [0] https://www.adaic.org/ada-resources/standards/ada22/ https://www.adaic.org/ada-resources/standards/ada22/ [1] https://github.com/ohenley/awesome-ada#compilers https://github.com/ohenley/awesome-ada#compilers
- i-con 11mo ago
  SPARK tools are also open source. The main tool `gnatprove` is based on GCC as well. https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 It's not a community project, AFAICT. Few people know how to build it from source.
  - tremon 11mo ago
    That links gives me a 404. Does it require membership of some organization before you're allowed to view it? edit: did you mean https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 https://github.com/AdaCore/spark2014 ?
    - i-con 11mo ago
      Sorry, yes 2014. Fixed it.
- RossBencina 11mo ago
  The C++ (draft) standards are open source: https://github.com/cplusplus/draft https://github.com/cplusplus/draft Last time I looked I could not find an equivalent repository for the C standards.
  - AlotOfReading 11mo ago
    There isn't one. They publish completed drafts on the working group website: https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/wg14_document_log.htm https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/wg14_document_lo...
    - RossBencina 11mo ago
      .pdf unfortunately. The C++ sources that I linked to are machine readable .tex.
i-con 11mo ago
If you are looking for an open-source compiler, many distros (e.g. Archlinux, Debian and derivatives) bootstrap a full GCC (GNU compiler collection). Sometimes you have to install a particular packet, e.g. `gnat` or `gcc-ada`. There's also a language-specific packet tool `alire` that seems to aim to be somewhat like cargo. It can also install toolchains, IIRC.
pjmlp 11mo ago
Just as open as COBOL, Fortran, C and C++. As ISO standards driven language with multiple implementations, commercial and open source ones. The open source one is part of GCC.