Ann: HAC v.0.05

Ann: HAC v.0.05

[gautier_niouzes]

HAC (HAC Ada Compiler) is available on two open-source development sites:
  http://hacadacompiler.sf.net/
  https://github.com/zertovitch/hac

HAC is a small, open-source Ada compiler, covering a subset of
the Ada language. There are chances you bump quickly into limitations.
The documentation is more or less non-existent, but a glimpse into the
file hac_pack.ads and some experimentation could be helpful.
The time spent by HAC for compiling is rather short, so some users
won't notice it even happens :-). This is an advantage for people who
don't know what a compiler is, but could be interested in programming
in Ada.

The latest additions are:
------------------------

  - type VString (variable-size string), with concatenation ("&"
      operator) including concatenation with numeric types (their
      image), comparison operators, Element, Length, Slice, Index,
      "*", Trim, Image, Integer_Value, Float_Value functions;
      Get_Line, Put, Put_Line subprograms for VString
  - Argument_Count, Argument (the latter returns a VString)
  - Get_Env, Set_Env, Shell_Execute system subprograms

HAC programs are real Ada programs, they can be built by a "serious"
Ada compiler, through the HAC_Pack compatibility package.
See the exm/hac_exm.gpr and test/hac_test.gpr project files
for the GNAT compiler.

To build HAC itself for the command-line, all you need (with GNAT) is
to run "gprbuild -P hac".
Then you get the executable hax[.exe].
The command "hax" alone will show you basic help.

  HAX: command-line compilation and execution for HAC (HAC Ada Compiler)
  Compiler version: 0.05 dated 06-May-2020.
  URL: http://sf.net/projects/hacadacompiler/

  Usage: hax [options] main.adb [command-line parameters for main]

  Options: -h     : this help
           -v, v1 : verbose
           -v2    : very verbose
           -a     : assembler output
           -d     : dump compiler information

Enjoy
Gautier