[ Table of Contents ]
The simplest high-level view of this volume is provided by the Table of Contents. The following table provides brief descriptions of the six chapters. (The left-hand column contains chapter titles, as hyperlinks.) Below the table is some discussion of different ways to use the material, as a tutorial and as a quick-reference source.
Chapter |
Description |
| 1. Introduction | Three small sample programs and overview of Ada's history, key features, and organization of the other chapters. |
| 2. Modules and Architecture |
The big picture, showing the various kinds of program units and ways of connecting them into an architectural whole, as well as a number of examples involving subprograms and packages. |
| 3. Executable Statements |
The various kinds of executable statements, which fall into two general categories: simple and compound, along with example programs illustrating their use. |
| 4. Types and Attributes |
Ada's built-in types and how to use them in creating user-defined types, along with illustrative examples, including the use of attributes. |
| 5. Object Oriented Programming |
A brief introduction to how Ada supports the classification style of object technology, including the use of tagged types and dynamic polymorphism. |
| 6. Concurrency and Synchronization |
A brief introduction to how Ada supports the development of programs with concurrent processes and the synchronization of these processes, based on the use of tasks and protected units. |
Using LearnAda as a tutorial or text book
You can systematically read one page at a time, starting with the first page of Chapter 1, proceeding in numerical order to the end of Chapter 6. Along the way you can click on any italicized term to remind yourself of a definition seen earlier or to get a preview of some up-coming topic. When you reach the end of each chapter you can check your learning progress, using the self-test questions. Or you can read the first and last pages of the chapter, in order to discover gaps in your knowledge. Then pick individual topics to explore in detail, as necessary. Some readers will benefit from scanning just the first page and summary section of every chapter -- twelve short sections in all -- for a quick overview of the entire language.
Using LearnAda as a reference source
The primary tool for reference work is the Glossary/Index, where you can find descriptions of many terms (listed alphabetically) and links to pages with further explanations and illustrated examples. Other important tools are the page-title links under "Related Topics" found at the bottom of most pages, and the reference material in the appendices, including the List of Attributes in Appendix A -- another alphabetical list with links to relevant pages.
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