From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,447bd1cf7a88c198 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-01-27 01:36:44 PST Path: supernews.google.com!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!cyclone-sf.pbi.net!206.13.28.144!news.pacbell.net.POSTED!not-for-mail From: David Kristola Organization: heaps of stacks MIME-Version: 1.0 User-Agent: Hogwasher 2.0 (Macintosh) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-ID: <01HW.B697D6B90004973007028CDC@news.pacbell.net> Subject: Re: Do we need "Mission-Critical" software? Was: What to Do? Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada References: <3A4F5A4A.9ABA2C4F@chicagonet.net> <3A4F759E.A7D63F3F@netwood.net> <3A50ABDF.3A8F6C0D@acm.org> <92qdnn$jfg$1@news.huji.ac.il> <3A50C371.8B7B871@home.com> <3A51EC04.91353CE7@uol.com.br> <3A529C97.2CA4777F@home.com> <3A53CB9E.EA7CF86C@uol.com.br> <3A5466DE.811D43A5@acm.org> <932aol$ikc$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <932mi6$r2k$1@trog.dera.gov.uk> <9343b1$3g5$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <934iuf$eqv$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <937kc7$ssq$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <93c0e9$4u6$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <93e33l$tfu$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <93ekmo$a14$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <3A6357CF.B80C3666@ix.netcom.com> <3A636F2A.F988973@averstar.com> <3A6CEA26.90EACF3D@ix.netcom.com> <94kkme$amg$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <3A71E168.FC629B19@ix.netcom.com> Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 1:36:57 -0800 NNTP-Posting-Host: 63.194.212.92 X-Complaints-To: abuse@pacbell.net X-Trace: news.pacbell.net 980588203 63.194.212.92 (Sat, 27 Jan 2001 01:36:43 PST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 01:36:43 PST Xref: supernews.google.com comp.lang.ada:4595 Date: 2001-01-27T01:36:57-08:00 List-Id: On Fri, 26 Jan 2001 12:43:20 -0800, Lao Xiao Hai (Richard Riehle) wrote (in message <3A71E168.FC629B19@ix.netcom.com>): > Robert Dewar wrote: >> In article <3A6CEA26.90EACF3D@ix.netcom.com>, >> Lao Xiao Hai wrote: >>> Tucker Taft wrote: >>>> I believe THAAD has settled on C++. >>> >>> Clearly an irresponsible decision on the part of somebody. >> >> That may be a little unfair. Most choices of programming >> languages are made not on the basis of technical excellence >> of the language, but rather on the basis of familiarity with >> a particular language. That's not necessarily irresponsible, >> since familiarity is an important factor. > > Perhaps I am being unfair. However, the current THAAD software > is programmed in Ada 83. I am not sure that slouching toward C++ > is as easy as transitioning existing software to a new version of the > same language. Am I wrong? Is it easier to convert Ada 83 code > to C++ or to Ada 95? > > Then again, is it unreasonable to expect the decision for a major Dod > weapon system to be made on the basis of technical excellence rather > than on the basis of someone's personal preference for a language that > does more to enhance their resume than to do the job right? > > If I am being unfair, so be it. This is warfighting software. When > it comes > to war, there is no such thing as fair. I worked on THAAD, and know some of the players in this. A number of them are very good engineers who simply don't like Ada as much as the rest of us. Why? I'm not sure. I would also guess that these particular people are Lockheed Martin lifers, so i doubt they are looking to add C++ to their resumes so they can move on. As for conversion, i too would think it easier to go to Ada95 from what they had previously. I'm not sure how much the computing hardware has changed from Dem/Val to EMD. If the hardware is very different (and several years have gone by since Dem/Val started), the software could be in for a major overhaul anyway. Don't get me wrong. I think they made a mistake going to C++. Still, i have to wish them good luck, and hope for the best. There are some good people working on THAAD, hopefully they will do well. -- --djk, keeper of arcane lore & trivial fluff Home: David95036 plus 1 at america on-line Spam: goto.hades@welovespam.com