Annex F
Definitions

ACATS Modification List. (Abbreviated AML) A list maintained by the ACAA documenting the currently modified and withdrawn tests. It also documents any new tests that have been or will be added to the test suite. The ACATS modification list is updated from time to time as challenges from implementers are received and processed, new tests are created, or as other technical information is received.

Acceptable result. The result of processing an ACATS test program that meets the explicit grading criteria for a grade of "passed" or inapplicable.

ACVC Implementer's Guide. (Abbreviated AIG) A document describing the test objectives used to produce test programs for [Ada83] ACVC versions (1.1-1.11). AIG section references are embedded in [Ada83] test naming conventions.

Ada. Short for Ada programming language. The term Ada by itself always refers to the most current ISO/IEC standard document(s); if a specific version of the language standards is meant it will always be referred to explicitly (for instance, as [Ada83] or [Ada95]).

Ada Conformity Assessment Authority. (Abbreviated ACAA) The part of the certification body that provides technical guidance for operations of the Ada certification system.

Ada Conformity Assessment Laboratory. (Abbreviated ACAL) The part of the certification body that carries out the procedures required to perform conformity assessment of an Ada implementation. (Formerly AVF)

Ada Conformity Assessment Test Report. (Abbreviated ACATR) A report summarizing the results of formal ACATS testing. Test Reports are issued only after witness testing is completed, and contain a summary of the testing (including which Specialized Needs Annexes were tested, any test modifications needed, and the values used in customizing the support files). Recent test reports can be found on-line at http://www.adaic.org/compilers/ada95.html, linked from the Certified Processors List.

Ada implementation. An Ada compilation system, including any required run-time support software, together with its host and target computer systems.

Ada Joint Program Office. (Abbreviated AJPO) An organization within the U.S. Department of Defense that sponsored the development of the ACVC and formerly provided policy and guidance for an Ada certification system.

Ada programming language. The language defined by the current Ada Standard documents.

Ada Resource Association. (Abbreviated ARA) The trade association that sponsors the Ada conformity assessment system.

Ada Standard documents. The documents that define the Ada programming language: reference [Ada95], its corrigiendum [TC1], and its Amendment [Amend1]. An unofficial document informally known as the “Ada 2005 Reference Manual” merges all three documents and is what is usually used by Ada practitioners.

Ada Validation Facility. (Abbreviated AVF) Former designation of an Ada Conformity Assessment Laboratory.

Ada Validation Organization. (Abbreviated AVO) Organization that formerly performed the functions of the Ada Conformity Assessment Authority.

Certification Body. The organizations (ACAA and ACALs) collectively responsible for defining and implementing Ada conformity assessments, including production and maintenance of the ACATS tests, and award of Ada Conformity Assessment Certificates.

Certified Processors List. (Abbreviated CPL) A published list identifying all certified Ada implementations. The CPL is available on the Ada Information Clearinghouse Internet site (www.adaic.org).

Challenge. A documented disagreement with the test objective, test code, test grading criteria, or result of processing an ACATS test program when the result is not PASSED or INAPPLICABLE according to the established grading criteria. A challenge is submitted to the ACAA.

Conforming implementation. An implementation that produces an acceptable result for every applicable test. Any deviation constitutes a non-conformity.

Core language. Sections 2-13 and Annexes A, B, and J of [Ada95]. All implementations are required to implement the core language. The tests for core language features are required of all implementations.

Coverage documents. Documents containing an analysis of every paragraph of the Ada Standard documents. Each paragraph has an indication of whether it contains a testable Ada requirement, and if so, suggested test objectives to cover the requirements of the paragraphs. Paragraphs that include objectives also indicate what ACATS test(s) specifically test those objectives.

Deviation. Failure of an Ada implementation to produce an acceptable result when processing an ACATS test program.

Foundation Code. Code used by multiple tests; foundation code is designed to be reusable. Generally a foundation is a package containing types, variables, and subprograms that are applicable and useful to a series of related tests. Foundation code is never expected to cause compile time errors. It may be compiled once for all tests that use it or recompiled for each test that uses it; it must be bound with each test that uses it.

Legacy Tests. Tests that were included in ACVC 1.12 that have been incorporated into later ACVC and ACATS versions. The vast majority of these tests check for language features that are upwardly compatible from [Ada83] to later versions of Ada. Some of these tests have been modified from the ACVC 1.12 versions to ensure that Ada rules are properly implemented in cases where there were extensions or incompatibilities from [Ada83] to later versions of Ada.

Modern Tests. Tests that have been constructed and added to the ACATS since the release of ACVC 1.12. These tests usually test features added to Ada since [Ada83]. Modern tests have a coding style more like that used by typical programmers than the Legacy tests, and have a different naming convention.

Specialized Needs Annex. (Abbreviated SNA) One of annexes C through H of [Ada95]. Conformity testing against one or more Specialized Needs Annexes is optional. There are tests that apply to each of the Specialized Needs Annexes. Results of processing these tests (if processed during a conformity assessment) are reported on the certificate and in the Certified Processors List.

Test Objective. The intended purpose of an ACATS test. A test objective ought to be relatable to rules given in the Standards that define Ada.

Test Objectives Document. A document containing the test objectives used for Modern ACATS tests. Information on Legacy tests is not included.

Validated Compilers List. (Abbreviated VCL) Former designation of the Certified Processors List.

Validated Implementation. Informally used to mean Conforming Implementation.

Validation. Informally used to mean conformity assessment.

Withdrawn Test. A test found to be incorrect and not used in conformity testing. A test may be incorrect because it has an invalid test objective, fails to meet its test objective, or contains erroneous or illegal use of the Ada programming language. Withdrawn tests are not applicable to any implementation. Withdrawn tests are often modified and restored to subsequent ACATS releases.

Witness Testing. Conformity assessment testing performed in the presence of ACAL personnel. Witness testing adds the assurance that the test procedures were followed and that the results were verified.