[net.micro] Example of online data base for Ada Repository

RCONN@simtel20.arpa (Rick Conn) (12/29/85)

	The following is HELP.EX2 from PD:<ADA.ONLINE-DOC> on SIMTEL20.
I thought this might be of general interest.  File follows:

	HELP.EX2 -- Demo 2 of HELP System for Ada Repository

			Richard Conn

	The following text shows the execution of the HELP program
on the HELP.DAT data file after it has been processed by the HELP_BUILD
program.  See the directory PD:<ADA.ONLINE-DOC> for documentation and
source code on these programs.  During the terminal displays, explanatory
comments are presented as lines preceeded with the "--" characters.  This
example was run under a DEC VAX 11/785 running VMS 4.2; the DEC Ada compiler
was used to compile the HELP System programs.  This file is in
PD:<ADA.ONLINE-DOC> as HELP.EX2 on SIMTEL20.

	Users of the Ada Repository can periodically copy new HELP.DAT
files from PD:<ADA.ONLINE-DOC> as these files are released.  HELP.DAT
contains a current snapshot of the entire repository, and the HELP program
allows the user to interactively query this data in a tree-oriented
fashion.  Details on all major directories, including current listings
of all files in each directory, and details of each software item (program
or software component) are available.  The following session should
illustrate.  Please address questions to ADA-SW-REQUEST@SIMTEL20.

		---- Terminal Session Follows ----

-- The HELP program is run and the default data file is selected.
-- The top-level set of topics is presented with a prompt.
HELP, Version 1.2
Help File (RETURN for Default)> 
Ada                   AI                    ANSI-LRM              
Benchmarks            CM_Data               Compilation_Order     
Components            Cross_Reference       DDN                   
Editors               Education             External_Tools        
Forms_Generator       General               Graphical_Kernel_Sys  
Management_Tools      Math_Library          Menu                  
Message_Handling      Metrics               Miscellaneous_Tools   
NOSC_Tools            Online_Documentation  Pager                 
Pointers              Pretty_Printers       Program_Stubber       
Spelling_Checkers     Starter_Kit           Style_Checkers        
Virtual_Terminal      WIS-ADA_Tools         












Level  0 Menu: (Exit, Selection)  compo
-- This prompt indicates that the user may exit or select a topic.
-- To exit, the command "EXIT" or "X" followed by a RETURN may
-- be issued.  Case is never significant.  To select a topic, the
-- user need only type enough characters to make it unique.  If not
-- unique, the first topic in the list matching the user's characters
-- will be selected.  All user input is terminated by a RETURN.
-- In this example, the user input is "compo", which matches "Components"

1 Components

PD:<ADA.COMPONENTS>

         This  is  the  components subdirectory.  Software components,
including general-purpose  procedures,  packages,  and  generics,  are
stored  here.  Examples are:  math packages, TERMCAP routines, generic
linked list packages, and dynamic string packages.















Level  0 Topic: 1 Components (Print, Exit, Up, Next, Menu)  
-- This prompt indicates that the user has the following options:
--     "P" or "PRINT" will print this section out to a file; "this section"
--		is this screen and all screens following, and does not
--		include subtopics
--	"X" or "EXIT" will exit the HELP program
--	"U" or "UP" will take the user up to the previous level (the
--		top-level menu in this case)
--	"N" or "NEXT" or just the RETURN key will take the user to
--		the next screen (in this case, I struck the RETURN key)
--	"Menu" indicates that a menu of subtopics under this topic
--		is available, and entering "M" or "MENU" will display this
--		menu

   PD:<ADA.COMPONENTS>
                  Bytes(SZ)  

 ABSTRACT.PRO.1   3433(7)    
   .SRC.1         572620(7)  
 CAS2.ADA.2       6942(7)    
   .PRO.1         2452(7)    
 CAS3.ADA.3       8259(7)    
   .PRO.4         2755(7)    
 CLI.CMM.1        4645(7)    
   .DIS.1         92(7)      
   .PRO.1         3745(7)    
   .SRC.1         30039(7)   
 COUNTADA.CMM.1   1313(7)    
   .PRO.1         4139(7)    
   .SRC.1         4587(7)    
 CSET.PRO.2       3227(7)    
   .SRC.2         17638(7)   
 DSTR1.ADA.1      8598(7)    
   .PRO.1         3014(7)    
 DSTR2.ADA.1      14129(7)   
   .PRO.1         2993(7)    
Level  0 Topic: 1 Components (Print, Exit, Up, Next, Last, Menu)  m
-- The "next" screen is a directory listing of all files under the
-- "Components" directory in the Ada Repository.  A "Last" prompt
-- has been added to our prompt line, indicating that there are one or
-- more screens in front of the current screen and typing "L" or "LAST"
-- will back us up.  When we are on the last screen of a section,
-- the "Next" portion of the prompt line disappears.  Also, when a
-- Menu is being displayed, the commands in the prompt override, so
-- if there is a Menu entry called "Exit", it can be referenced by
-- typing "EX" or "EXI" or "E", but typing "EXIT" will run the exit
-- function and knock the user out of the HELP program.
--
-- In this example, I struck "m", causing a subordinate menu to display:

Abstractions          CAS2                  CAS3                  
CLI                   CAS                   Character_Set         
Dynamic_String        Dynamic_String_2      Dynamic_String_3      
FGET                  Garbage_Collection    IO_Support            
Limited_Prioritized_  Linked_list           Message_IO            
Parser                Permutations_Class    Prioritized_Queue     
Quick_Sort            Safe_IO               SYSDEP_DEC            
SYSDEP_DG             Singly_Linked_List    Stack                 
TBD                   VDT100                Variable_Length_Dire  














Level  1 Menu: (Exit, Up, Selection)  abs
-- Details of these pieces of software are now available.  This is
-- a menu, so our options are few.  Like topic screens, menus may
-- extend beyond one screen (more than 60 menu items) -- when this
-- occurs, the "Next" and "Last" portions of the prompt may appear.
--
-- In this example, I typed "abs", selecting the "Abstractions" topic:

2 Abstractions
Author       : Bill Toscano, Michael Gordon
             : Intermetrics, Inc, 

Keywords     : Components, Reusable Software Components

Abstract     :
 ABSTRACTIONS contains a number of low-level
support routines which are used by NOSC tools
created by Intermetrics.  Several routines are
of general utility.












Level  1 Topic: 2 Abstractions (Print, Exit, Up)  u
-- "Up", which is invoked by the "u" command that I typed, brings
-- me back up to the menu:

Abstractions          CAS2                  CAS3                  
CLI                   CAS                   Character_Set         
Dynamic_String        Dynamic_String_2      Dynamic_String_3      
FGET                  Garbage_Collection    IO_Support            
Limited_Prioritized_  Linked_list           Message_IO            
Parser                Permutations_Class    Prioritized_Queue     
Quick_Sort            Safe_IO               SYSDEP_DEC            
SYSDEP_DG             Singly_Linked_List    Stack                 
TBD                   VDT100                Variable_Length_Dire  














Level  1 Menu: (Exit, Up, Selection)  link
-- "link" followed by a RETURN selects the "Linked_list" topic:

2 Linked_list

Author       : Richard Conn
             : Texas Instruments

Keywords     :  DOUBLY-LINKED LIST, LIST MANIPULATION

Abstract     :
 This package provides a number of routines
which can be used to manipulate a doubly-
linked list.  See the visible section for
a rather complete set of documentation on
the routines.

 Each element of the list is of the following
structure:
     RECORD
        contents: element_object;  -- data
        next:     element_pointer; -- ptr
        previous: element_pointer; -- ptr
     END RECORD;


Level  1 Topic: 2 Linked_list (Print, Exit, Up)  x
-- Finally, "x" exits the HELP program

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