What is a .ADS file?
The file extension .ADS is associated with Ada Specification Files. These files are an essential part of programming projects that use the Ada programming language. An Ada Specification File serves as a "spec file," which means it includes important definitions and declarations that the Ada program needs to function properly. These definitions and declarations are used by another part of the program, which is contained in an Ada Body (.ADB) file. Typically, an .ADS file and its corresponding .ADB file will share the same name, with the only difference being their file extensions.
To open an .ADS file, you have several options. One common way is by using the GNU Compiler Collection (gcc) or GNAT, which is a free software compiler for Ada, part of gcc. These tools understand the Ada language and can process .ADS files as part of compiling an Ada program.
If you're not looking to compile the program but just want to view or edit the .ADS file, you can use any basic text editor, such as Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on macOS, or Gedit on Linux. These text editors allow you to see and modify the contents of the .ADS file, which is plain text.
Another option for opening .ADS files is File Viewer Plus, which is available from the Microsoft Store. This program can open a wide variety of file types, including .ADS files, and provides a user-friendly interface for viewing the file's contents.
For Mac users, MacroMates TextMate is an advanced text editor that supports many programming languages, including Ada. It can open .ADS files and provides features like syntax highlighting, making it easier to read and write Ada code.
In summary, .ADS files are crucial for Ada programming projects, containing necessary definitions and declarations. You can open them with specific compilers like gcc or GNAT, any basic text editor, File Viewer Plus, or MacroMates TextMate, depending on whether you want to compile the Ada program or simply view or edit the .ADS file.
Verification
Our goal is to help people find the most up-to-date information about file extensions for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. We researched over 10,000 file extensions and their respective programs that open those files. If you want to suggest edits or updates about .ADS file formats, example files, or programs that are compatible. Please contact us.