Database Programming with Ada

Ada Europe 2010, Valencia

Frank Piron, [email protected]

KonAd GmbH, In der Reis 5, D-79232 March-Buchheim
 Content

•  Why Ada for Database Programming?

•  The Database Access Library

•  The User Interface Library

•  Projects

•  Conclusion
 Why Ada for Database Programming?
The Situation in 2001

•  Goal: Development of Oracle Database Applications under

different platforms. High demands on stability and performance.

•  By the end of the millenium Oracle stopped further

development of the Developer 2000 toolset.

•  Oracle Forms does not allow 100% integration of system

services.

•  Oracle Forms modules are single threaded.

Begin of 2002
After 6 month of evaluation Ada
 Why Ada for Database Programming?

Pro

•  Similarity between Ada and PL/SQL

•  Features of Ada
Multitasking
Object Orientation
System Integration
Platform Independence
Standardization
•  Ada is a language for the development of big reliable software
systems
 Why Ada for Database Programming?

Contra

•  Ada is not a mainstream language.

Are there Ada programmers?
What will the customers say?
Will Ada be available in 10 years?
•  Ada is not easy to learn.
•  There are only few libraries for Database Access and GUI-
Programming.
 Why Ada for Database Programming?
Start in 2002

Building knowledge of Ada95. Decision for GNAT.

We need libraries for Oracle Database Access and GUI-

Programming on Windows.

Web search and evaluation

  Adaoci (Dmitriy Anisimkov) as a starting point for a database

access library

  GWindows (David Botton) as a basis for the development of

GUI-Components
 The Database Access Library
win32 Network
Oracle

OCI Win32-API Other

Adaoci
GWindows
Konada.Db.Sql + Network
.Rows
GWindows_Extended
.Tables

Controls (Single-, Multirow)

Application
 The Database Access Library
Why not e.g. GNADE for database access?

•  We wanted to take full advantage of the Oracle Call Interface

like
•  Asynchronous Execution
•  Blob Support
•  Advanced Queueing

•  As few third party libraries as possible. Especially no ODBC

driver.

•  Ability to extend our library with new features of the Oracle Call
Interface as soon as possible.
The Database Access Library
Konada.Db.Sql

Adaoci Methods

Create
Konada.Db Management
Bind/Set of Define an Bind
Variables is
Execute Done by the
Sqltype
Library
Fetch

Get
Higher Layers
Application ….
The Database Access Library
Konada.Db.Sql
 The Database Access Library
OCI and Ada Tasking

Fetch
T1
Connection Fetch
T2
Fetch

T3
Execute
synchron

T1 T2 T3
The Database Access Library
Rows and Tables
To get rid of Sql

DB

Db Konada.Db.Tables
Table Object
The Database Access Library
Konada.Db.Tables
 The Database Access Library
Konada.Db.Tables - Implementation

Tagged Hierarchy
Double linked list
Data Element

…
Data

... Integer Time

String

Current Row (Array)

Row Position
export
 The User Interface Library
win32 Network
Oracle

OCI Win32-API Other

Adaoci
GWindows
Konada.Db.Sql + Network
.Rows
GWindows_Extended
.Tables

Controls (Single-, Multirow)

 The User Interface Library
Goals

GUI –Components for several purposes:

•  Display and manipulation of single and multiple Data Records

•  Automatic and programmatic layout (no GUI-Builder)

•  Flexible Event-Model

•  Tree-Navigation with the tree reflecting the data model

•  Storage of GUI-Layout into the database. The Modules adjust

without recompilation
 The User Interface Library
Why start with Gwindows?

GUI-centered thick binding to the win32-API by David Botton

  Easy to use

  Easy to extend

  Available under the GMGPL

The User Interface Library
Example: Multi Record Control

List_View_Control GWindows

Header-Drag-
Ex_List_View_Control
And-Drop
Icons
Header-Click-Event
GWindows_Extended
…

Konada.Db.Tables - Object
The User Interface Library
Multi Record Control
 The User Interface Library
Multi Record Control and Data Container

List View Control

Konada.Db.Tables

Row Position

rowid
 The User Interface Library
Code sample – Simple Single Record Control
The User Interface Library
The Effect of the previous code snippet
 Projects

•  ElSch – Workflow Client

•  Complete ERP-Solution for hydraulic and pneumatic

element manufacturers (Demo)

•  Interface between Workflow System and Archive

System on the Solaris platform

•  Further development of our dynamic GUI control

 Projects - ElSch

ElSch – Workflow Client. Running since 2005

Stadtrichteramt Zürich
Projects – ERP Solution
 Projects
Dynamic GUI Control
Application

DB

GUI - Maintenance

GUI
Layout
 Conclusion

Database Programming with Ada is real business, but

•  We had to learn and turn

•  The customers have to trust our choice

•  We often have to give answers to the question:

„Why not Java?“

Here is one:
„We like programming in Ada.“