brucej@SSD.HARRIS.COM (Bruce Jones) (12/20/89)
In article <7475@hubcap.clemson.edu> billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu writes: > > At Tri-Ada '89, Sholom Cohen told me that the Numerics Working group > took about eight years to come up with a standard math package, and > that the Ada Run-Time Environment Working Group also required about > eight years to come up with a standard run-time environment package. > These should make it into Ada 9X, and should take care of some of the > remaining portability problems. The ARTEWG's "standard" runtime environment package is called the Model Runtime System Interface (MRTSI). As the MRTSI only provides support for the existing Ada RM, it is already in some sense "in" Ada 9x Since the MRTSI only specifies the interface between the Ada compiler and the Ada RTE, it is unlikely that it will be added to the RM during the Ada 9x process. The MRTSI therefore does not solve any portability problems, as we all know that the green book is already completely portable. :> Application developers, especially those with real-time constraints, face many problems not addressed by either the green book or the MRTSI. To meet these needs, the ARTEWG is pursuing two parallel tracks; we are contributing to the Ada 9x process, and are continuing to develop the ARTEWG's set of "extensions" to the standard Ada RTE, the Catalog of Interface Features and Options (CIFO). The next version of the CIFO is in the process of being prepared. Several important topics remain under investigation and discussion, including task scheduling, distributed Ada, security, multiprogramming, and many more. We expect this new version of the CIFO to appear long before validated Ada 9x compilers, and thus serve as a short-term solution to application needs. BLATANT PLUG: The next meeting of the ARTEWG is scheduled for January 30th through February 2nd in sunny and warm Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Members of the Ada community interested in contributing to the ongoing work of the ARTEWG are more than welcome to attend the meeting. Drop me some email if you are interested in attending. SECOND BLATANT PLUG: Copies of the MRTSI, the CIFO and the other published ARTEWG documents are available. Again, drop me some email if you are interested. ---------- Bruce Jones brucej@ssd.csd.harris.com, ARTEWG member and chubby programmer jonesb@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu, Harris Computers, Fort Lauderdale, FL ..!uunet!hcx1!brucej