In contrast to printed works, which present visually a text but do not support active reading and consultation, the focus of hypertext documents is on structured exploration, improved understanding, and task-oriented navigation in the text. This difference is especially important for reference works, such as the Ada reference manuals and rationales.
rm95html is a hypertext version of the revised ANSI/ISO Standard (final version 6.0), produced in 1994 by Magnus Kempe. The entry point is the table of contents (with three neat "zoom" levels). The index is linked in. (rm95html was an early experiment in turning a large document into hypertext with HTML.)
Note: This version is a precursor of KSCE's more complete DocAda (see below).
This hypertext version of the rationale for Ada 95 was produced by Laurent Guerby. The entry point is the table of contents. The full index is linked in.
Note: A different version, tightly integrated with the reference manual, is part of KSCE's DocAda (see below).
Downloading: Guerby's version is packaged in an archive file available by FTP: rat95html-1.tar.* (400 to 500KB compressed, expands to 1.4MB).
DocAda is a highly integrated document made of Ada 95 reference works with hypertext structure and presentation. DocAda's rich supply of features is optimized for access to descriptions, definitions, and clarifications of the constitutive parts of the Ada language.
DocAda provides easier access and greater understanding into the Ada 95 Reference Manual by creating a well-structured hypertext document with an abundance of links and powerful navigating options, as well as including links to and from the Rationale and AARM in a manner in which these two works are always immediately and contextually accessible where they may be helpful. DocAda thus transforms the Rationale into an inviting, guided tour of Ada 95 that features complete integration with the definition of the language.
There is also a Hypercard version of the Ada 95 Reference Manual for the Macintosh, derived from the old rm95html (produced by Paul Gorman, beta version 1.0).
Downloading: The Hypercard stack (document) has been compacted into a self-extracting archive and then BinHexed; it is available by FTP: Hypercard-RM95-B1.0.hqx (850KB compressed, expands to 2MB). A standalone version (application) --i.e. including a Hypercard engine-- is similarly packaged and available from the same directory, in file Hypercard-RM95-B1.0-app.hqx (1.4MB compressed, expands to 2.8MB). Please read the associated README file before downloading this package.
In addition to the hypertext versions listed here, the Reference Manual and Rationale are available in bound paper editions and can be printed from Postscript files.
Page last modified: 1998-01-21