The name stands for "Hypergraphic tutorials in Object Technology and Ada 95." HOT_Ada is a collection of computer-based tutorials. They are distributed on floppy disks and run on Windows platforms. There are two sets of modules: the "Core Set" of three volumes, and the "IS Set" of two "books" related to Information Systems development. There are many hypertext and hypergraphic features. For example, you can click on a "hot word" to see its definition in the Glossary, or click on a "hot icon" in a diagram to jump to the corresponding line of Ada source code in a previously hidden listing. HOT_Ada is designed for individual, self-paced learning. A major theme is the reuse of patterns and parts.
Volume 1, of the Core Set provides a pictorial introduction to object technology (OOA and OOD presented in a language-independent manner) and a pictorial introduction to Ada 9X, with emphasis on its OOP features.
Volume 2 provides an extended case study with a step-by-step illustration of the OOA, OOD and OOP concepts outlined in Volume 1. The case study, a game called Triads, has an interactive, graphical interface and uses random number generation. The system architecture is an example of a Model-View-Controller design. The Model subsystem is platform-independent and is implemented in detail in this volume.
Volume 3 completes the case study by designing and implementing the View and Controller subsystems, using the ObjectAda (tm) for Windows product of Aonix, Inc. The GUI Builer tool is used to "draw" the user interface and generate Ada 95 source code for the Controller portion. The three subsystems are then integrated, compiled, linked and run -- leaving the student with a complete, working game and in a position to modify and improve it.
The authors of the IS Set are Ben Brosgol, author of Annex F "Information Systems" of the Ada 95 Reference Manual, and Bard Crawford, author of earlier HOT_Ada modules. The graphic notation in these two books has been updated (compared to earlier HOT_Ada modules) to be consistent with the Unified Modeling Language (UML).
Book 5 of the IS Set contains a set of illustrated lessons on decimal types, picture strings, character and string handling, and interfacing with legacy code written in COBOL and C.
Book 6 is built around a non-trivial Payroll System case study, which further illustrates the issues covered in Book 5 and also illustrates the use of Aonix's ObjectAda (tm) for Windows system, especially its GUI Builder. Implementation in Ada is preceeded by language-independent object oriented analysis and object oriented design steps.
Single volume or book: $29 Core Set (Version 2.3): $49 IS Set (Version 3.0): $39 Personal check (US bank) to Stage Harbor Software
Site license for course, department, college, university, company, division, agency, etc. negotiable. More details at
http://members.aol.com/HOTAda/
To order by credit card see ASSET web site at
http://www.asset.com/
click Catalog Search, enter HOT_Ada, then click Search
Bard S. Crawford bscrawford@aol.com Stage Harbor Software 9 Patriots Drive Lexington, MA 02173 USA
Page last modified: 1998-02-10