GPS: PowerPC/x86 Wind River Linux support
GPS support for the powerpc-wrs-linux and i586-wrs-linux GNAT Pro toolchains have been added.

Ada.Wide_[Wide_]Characters.Handling are now Pure
The packages Ada.Wide_[Wide_]Characters.Handling are now pure, in accordance with an expected update of Ada 2012 AI 0266. In addition System.UTF_32, and Ada.Wide_[Wide_]Characters.Unicode are also now pure packages.

Invalid values detected for Enumeration_IO.Put
Attempting to pass enumeration values that have an invalid representation to the Put procedures of Enumeration_IO now results in a Constraint_Error.

GPS: License updated to GPL3
GPS is now licensed under the terms of the GPL version 3.

License updated to GPL3
The license for XML/Ada Pro is now GPL3 with the standard exception allowing the creation of proprietary software.

Conventions Ada_Pass_By_Copy/Ada_Pass_By_Reference
Two new conventions Ada_Pass_By_Copy and Ada_Pass_By_Reference are available. These follow the implementations in other Ada compilers. They allow the program to specify the passing method used for parameters in cases where the standard makes it implementation dependent which method is used. The convention is applied to the type, and then affects how parameters with this type are passed.

Victor shipped on Mac OSX
Victor and Alt-Ergo are now shipped on Mac OSX, extending the platform support for SPARKBridge to the big three (Windows, GNU/Linux and OSX).

GPS: doc converted to sphinx
The documentation format was changed, so that we can produce nicer- looking output. In addition, the new format provides an integrated search feature over all pages of the manual.

Documentation converted to Sphinx
The documentation was converted to another format, providing nicer looking output. It also adds support for searching in the documentation.

Documentation converted to Sphinx
The documentation was converted from texinfo to Sphinx.

GB: support for relative path outside workspace
In GNATbench properties, it is now possible to use a relative path to a GNAT project file located outside the workspace.

User rule support for victor
Victor can now read and use user rules.

GPS: force use of gprbuild
It's possible now to always use gprbuild as a builder for projects, whether or not these projects are multi-language. This is done via the new preference "Default builder," using the "Gprbuild_Always" setting. This preference replaces the previous "Multi language builder" preference.

Add support for encapsulated libraries
An encapsulated library is a library which not only embeds the elaboration and finalization code but also depends exclusively on static libraries (including the GNAT run-time).

Schema: Ignore unsupported xsd:unique
In the 4.2 version, we added support for silently ignoring some schema constructs rather than receive a fatal error. This has been extended to <xsd:unique> elements.

Improved ‘Alignment for class-wide types
The 'Alignment attribute for class-wide types is now evaluated more efficiently, avoiding a dispatching call. This saves time and space.

Upgraded Victor
Upgraded Victor, the FDL to SMT translator and prover driver, to the most recent version. The most important new features are support for user rules and support for translation to the SMTLIB2 format.

Ada Connection 2011 - Debugging Mechatronic Applications Written in Ada

Here's this Monday's installment from the Ada Connection 2011 talks. Wiljan Derks from NXP gives a talk on Debugging Mechatronic Applications Written in Ada

A new film added every Monday. To view all the films we've added to date, please visit the Ada Lecture Series.

Added -makefile option to the Examiner
The Examiner supports a new option that can be used in conjunction with -brief to supress all but the most essential output. This option is specifically intended for invoking the Examiner from a makefile.

Ada Connection 2011 - A Real-Time Framework for Multiprocessor Platforms Using Ada 2012

Here's this Monday's installment from the Ada Connection 2011 talks. Sergio Saez from Universidad Politecnica de Valencia gives a talk on A Real-Time Framework for Multiprocessor Platforms Using Ada 2012

A new film added every Monday. To view all the films we've added to date, please visit the Ada Lecture Series.

AI05-0041 derived types and partial views
For the purposes of the rules for allowing allocated unconstrained objects, any ancestor that has a constrained partial view causes the rules to apply. In addition, in a generic body, 3.10.2(27.2/2) is checked assuming that any untagged formal private or derived type has a constrained partial view.

High-Level Synthesis with GAUT

In a recent micro seminar, Dr. Philippe Coussy Associate Professor at the Université de Bretagne-Sud's Science and Technique Department gave a talk on high-level synthesis principles and tools:

High-Level Synthesis with GAUT

Add support for external log handling
It is now possible to provide callback routines for the log module. From there it is possible to store log data into a database or into syslog if needed.

Add support for external log handling
It is now possible to provide callback routines for the log module. From there it is possible to store log data into a database or into syslog if needed.

GPS: Support for SPARKClean
Support for the new SPARK tool SPARKClean has been added in GPS, to provide menus to clean a project of SPARK artifacts.

Improved handling of ‘Width with Discard_Names
In the presence of Discard_Names, the behavior of Width is implementation defined. In accordance with recommendations in the AARM, GNAT now gives a result that is consistent with the behavior of Image, i.e. it gives the value required to hold the Image of the largest Pos value. This also means that the configurable run-time (including ZFP) fully supports 'Width.

New gnatpp option to control subtype name casing
New option -nt(D|U|L|M) is added to gnatpp. This option specifies casing for subtype names, including names of first subtypes introduced by type declarations.

Consistent target names
The target name used by various tools has been made consistent across the whole tool chain. In particular, Standard'Target_Name and the default search path for projects have been changed to match the GCC target name.

Better error message for nested extended returns
The compiler issues a clearer error message for cases where either a return statement with an expression or an extended return statement is nested within an outer extended return statement.

GPS 5.1 presentation and demo

For those of you that couldn't join us for the GPS 5.1 webinar yesterday, the recorded version is now available for viewing:

https://adacore.webex.com/adacore/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=51468957&rKey=2021bb6fecc31612

Enjoy!

New tool: SPARKClean
A new tool has been added to SPARK to delete all artefacts generated by the toolset. Optionally, only a specific class of files can be deleted (for example only Simplifier output files).

New gnatcheck rule Identifier_Prefixes
This rule checks if a defining identifier has a specific prefix. Rule parameters allow specifying required prefixes for different entity kinds.

New gnatcheck rule Identifier_Casing
This rule checks if a defining identifier has a specific casing. Rule parameters allow specifying required casing schemes for different entity kinds.

ParaSail language - AdaCore micro seminar

AdaCore Internal Seminar - December 2, 2011

ParaSail - A new programming language designed to allow productive development of parallell, high-integrity (safety and security-critical) software systems. The language is tentatively named "ParaSail" for parallel, specification and implementation language. For more info, please visit:

http://parasail-programming-language.blogspot.com/

Presenter: Tucker Taft.

UPDATE: View slides from the seminar.

AdaCore, from time to time, organizes seminars in the Paris/NY offices. If you are interested in a particular talk, please send email to events@adacore.com.

Ada Connection 2011 - Real-Time Management & Production Systems for Manufacturing and Energy Facilit

Here's this Monday's installment from the Ada Connection 2011 talks. Jozef Cvirik from Ipesoft gives a talk on Real-Time Management & Production Systems for Manufacturing and Energy Facilities

A new film added every Monday. To view all the films we've added to date, please visit the Ada Lecture Series.

Specific warnings suppresion in generic templates
If a specific warning is suppressed in a generic template using the form of pragma Warnings with the second argument being a message pattern, then the corresponding messages in instantiations are also suppressed.

Simplifier tactics for square and abs
The Simplifier now includes two new tactics. The first allows inference that x * x >= 0 for any integer or real value x. The second infers that x /= 0 if abs(x) is greater than zero.

New unit GNAT.Expect.TTY
This unit is similar to GNAT.Expect but based on pseudo-terminals. It is supported on Windows and UNIX platforms.

Simplifier tactics for unconstrained arrays
The Simplifier now includes new tactics for reasoning about integer inequalities that appear in VCs arising from iteration over an unconstrained array object in SPARK.

REMINDER - GPS 5.1 webinar next week

The GNAT Pro InSight webinar series continues with a presentation and demo of the new features introduced in GPS 5.1 – November 15, 2011 – 5PM Europe, 4PM UK, 11AM EST

This major release sees many enhancements to our IDE technology including extended feature support for C and C++, improved integration with CodePeer (automated code reviewer and validator), more powerful source editing, and enhanced GUI performance.

This webinar will go through the new features and demo a selection. As always, there will be a Q&A session at the end. To register, please visit our webinar page:

http://www.adacore.com/home/products/gnatpro/webinars/

Ada Connection 2011 - Design and Implementation of a Ravenscar Extension for Multiprocessors

Here's this Monday's installment from the Ada Connection 2011 talks. Jose F. Ruiz from AdaCore talks about the design and implementation of a Ravenscar extension for multiprocessors

A new film added every Monday. To view all the films we've added to date, please visit the Ada Lecture Series.

New Ada 2005 handling of storage place attributes
The special handling introduced in Ada 2005 for the Position, First_Bit, and Last_Bit attributes is now implemented. This applies to components for which a component clause is given, and the default bit order applies. For such components these attributes yield the unnormalized values given in the original component clause. Note that -gnatR2 may be conveniently used to determine the exact layout of records in all cases.

New gnatpp options for parameter layout
New options --par_threshold and --call_threshold are added to gnatpp to control the layout of parameter specifications and parameter associations.

Vermont Public Television’s Emerging Science “Out of this World” features GAP project

Vermont Public Television's Emergence Science series "Out of this World" features the CubeSat satellite project on which GNAT Pro and SPARK Pro technology was used by members of AdaCore's GNAT Academic Program (GAP): Professors Carl Brandon, Peter Chapin, and the students at Vermont Technical College. If you are in the Vermont area you can view the broadcast live on: Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 8:30pm.

You can also watch the web version of the films at: http://www.vpt.org/show/16403

Learn more about the GNAT Academic Program

Improved use of types and subtypes in FDL
The Examiner now makes better use of types and subtypes in FDL. It is becoming increasingly common to use other provers such as Isabelle, Riposte and Alt Ergo (via SPARKBridge with Victor) to discharge SPARK VCs. It can be very beneficial to these provers to have richer type information included in the FDL. Consequently, the Examiner has been modified to produce such information. This change is backward compatible, so the Simplifier will still accept the generated FDL and discharge VCs as before. Other proof systems can make use of this information to significantly narrow the bounds for variables they reason about.

Ada Connection 2011 - Implementing a Software Product Line for a complex Avionics System

Here's this Monday's installment from the Ada Connection 2011 talks. Frank Dordowsky from ESG and Richard Bridges from Eurocopter talk about Implementing a Software Product Line for a complex Avionics System

A new film added every Monday. To view all the films we've added to date, please visit the Ada Lecture Series.

Quick fix alternative for unreferenced objects
Two alternatives are now suggested to "quick fix" an unreferenced object: the user may remove the object declaration, or add a pragma Unreferenced.

Better error message for volatile argument passing
The error message for passing a volatile by reference argument to a non- volatile actual now points to the actual instead of the call, and includes the name of the formal.

GPS: Automatic removal of Subversion errors
Errors emitted by Subversion are removed from the Locations view when the file containing errors is successfully committed or reverted.

GPS: new Editor action “toggle wrapping”
A new action "toggle wrapping" is defined in the plugin text_utils.py, and can be associated to a key binding in the Key Shortcuts editor to conveniently switch between no wrapping and word wrapping in the current editor.